Mute, Too
by FalconPain
Summary: After losing a battle to the dark Pokémon Darkrai, Mewtwo awakens to find that he no longer has his psychic abilities. No longer able to float, read minds, or even talk to humans or Pokémon, he must rebuild his life. But how much of this can he take?
1. Day One

If he had been paying any attention to his surroundings, he might have noticed that he had made it all the way to Viridian Forest.

The forest, named after the town on its southern border, was a popular training location for budding Pokémon battlers from the Kanto region. It also had a reputation for its large supply of bug Pokémon. Some trainers had found the denser part of the woods to be terrifying after dark. Others had prepared for such circumstances.

It is common knowledge that psychic Pokémon are vulnerable to insects. This didn't bother the Pokémon that was currently teleporting his way through the woods, quickly choosing destinations where the foliage would conceal his form. If he was less experienced, they could have posed a risk to him. But this was not the case. The true threat was the dark Pokémon that continued to pursue him, lobbing waves of dark power in his direction.

Dark Pokémon are also known to be vulnerable to insects. Their environment did not give either one a clear advantage.

He hated to admit it, but Mewtwo was starting to become tired. He didn't want to be here. He didn't like thinking of himself as the underdog in a fight. He didn't like to think of himself as being in a fight at all. He just wanted his opponent to leave him alone. And yet, for some reason, this was insufficient to get Darkrai off his back.

_Why are you doing this?_, the psychic transmitted via telepathy in his somber baritone.

**Why not?**, the scratchy distorted voice responded in kind. **Do we always need a reason for what we do?**

Mewtwo had tried everything he could think of to escape. It hadn't helped. Darkrai had continued to follow him even after his lengthiest teleports. His body was immune to psychic attacks, and his mind was closed off to suggestion. Mewtwo's keen mental senses weren't even capable of detecting his adversary.

That is, unless his adversary wanted him to do so.

The single glowing blue eye, floating in the black void that rested between its wispy hat-like growth and the red scarf around its neck, stared at Mewtwo from less than a foot away. **There's nothing to explain. Do you realize just what you have done to me? How much your actions have hurt me?**

Mewtwo's own purple eyes returned the glare. _I have done nothing to you._

**You have done nothing to me**, the raspy voice repeated in a mocking tone. **You sicken me.** With the wave of a single appendage, it charged a void of dark power and prepared to unleash it in the direction of its enemy.

The enemy was no longer there. Mewtwo had teleported himself five yards behind Darkrai. Thinking quickly, he levitated off the ground and started heading in another direction at the fastest speed he could manage.

And that was why he was surprised when the dark void struck him in the back. Admittedly, Darkrai would have been foolish to think that he wouldn't try something like this.

It was super effective.

Mewtwo fell forward to the ground in a state of repose, his arms barely able to cushion the fall. Darkrai slowly floated toward him as it charged another dark spell in one hand.

_...you have won... that is enough... leave me be..._

The single blue eye blinked. **Still conscious, even as you sleep.** It placed the dark-charged hand on Mewtwo's back, just below the secondary tube. **It does not matter. You are powerless.**

As the dark energy flowed between the two, Mewtwo's slumber became deeper, beyond the point of consciousness. Finally Darkrai rose into the air again, its task completed.

**Sleep well, psychic. I will not intrude on your nightmares tonight.** Darkrai turned and floated into the distance. **Compared to tomorrow, you may find them pleasant.**

**

* * *

**

**Mute, Too**

**Day One**

**

* * *

**

Mewtwo regained consciousness the next morning to find himself surrounded by darkness.

This annoyed him. He had hoped that Darkrai would have lost interest in him after delivering that one-sided trouncing the previous night. But apparently that was not enough for it. It had seen fit to cover him in a veil of darkness, unable to use his senses to see the very world around him, leaving him trapped...

Mewtwo opened his eyes, and the darkness lifted slightly to give him a limited amount of vision. A small comfort, he decided.

A close-up view of the leaf-covered ground awaited him. He mentally winced to himself. He had been sleeping facedown on the ground the entire night, and his chest was feeling rather uncomfortable as a result. Shaking his head slightly, he tried to lift himself to an upright position.

He failed.

His eyes widened. He tried again, to no avail. The third time wasn't effective, either. He started to panic as he realized that he was paralyzed and unable to...

...no, he corrected himself. He had shaken his head earlier. He had no problem doing so. The problem had to be something else.

Specifically, he noticed, the fact that he had no body at all.

Even when surrounded by this void on almost all sides, he should have been aware of his own physical form. But he couldn't perceive it at all. This meant that he must not have had one. No arms, no legs, no chest...

...then why did his chest hurt?

He tried to stretch out one of his arms. He succeeded. Now he could see it, a three-fingered white hand resting upon the pile of leaves directly in front of him. He moved it up and down slightly. The hand in front of him did the same thing. He moved it to the side. It disappeared from his senses.

He was starting to catch on. Slowly and with a small amount of discomfort, he turned his head to the side. There was the hand again, floating in midair as the world rotated around him, revealing a sideways view of the forest where he had spent the night. The pile of leaves disappeared into the aether as the rest of the forest came into view.

Mewtwo's eyes widened in horror again. He was trapped in this almost complete sphere of darkness, covering his view from all angles except for a section of visible light in front of his face.

In front of his eyes.

He was seeing out of his eyes.

And anything that was not in front of his eyes, he couldn't see.

He slowly bent his body at the waist and tried to lift himself to a seated position. That part was easy. Now he could see a vast panorama of the forest in front of him. As long as it was in front of him, he could see it, as long as there was nothing in the way.

There was something in the way. A large number of trees, and he couldn't perceive anything past them. For him to see beyond those trees, he was going to have to move.

Moving cautiously in an effort to retain his balance, he managed to bring his legs under his body to support him. The dry leaves crackled under his two-toed feet. And he was starting to understand that they would continue to be there for the immediate foreseeable future.

He couldn't levitate. He couldn't teleport. For him to be able to travel anywhere, he was going to have to start moving his legs such that they could bear his weight and move him in the direction of his choice.

And if he wanted to take a closer look at those leaves, he was going to have to bend forward and look down at them.

And if he wanted to take a leaf along with him on his trip, he was going to have to use his fingers to grasp one and use his arms to support its weight.

_He no longer had any psychic abilities to speak of._

Silently, he cursed Darkrai's name.

As he started moving through the forest, resigning himself to his fate and trying to put up with his sudden handicap, he started to wonder exactly what he _did_ have...

* * *

Mewtwo was lost.

He hadn't seen any evidence of a path. He didn't know enough about this area to know which direction would lead him out of this forest and into a town. He wasn't even sure if he should have been heading to a town.

What was he supposed to do, anyway? For the past few years, he'd been moving from city to city, observing the humans and Pokémon from the shadows, and occasionally making sure that the clones that he had once protected were still doing well as they mingled with Pokémon society as a whole.

That was more enjoyable when he was able to move silently and out of the sight of others.

Not for the first time, and definitely not for the last, he wanted his psychic abilities back. If he had them, he would have been able to reach a city almost instantaneously. He wouldn't have to walk in random directions hoping to find help.

He was aware that most Pokémon routinely had to do what he was doing. Then again, he thought, they had more practice at it.

A flock of Pidgeys passed overhead. The first thing Mewtwo noticed was that he couldn't read their minds, and thus couldn't tell where they were headed. The second thing he noticed was that he could still understand them.

"Our nests are this way." "Stick together!" "If any of you are captured, we won't be coming back for you."

Mewtwo immediately tried to ask for directions. He failed. Of course, he thought. He had been using telepathy his whole life. Without that ability, all he had was...

...his voice.

He opened his mouth. A few seconds later, he shut it again.

What was he doing? Why couldn't he say anything? He had to have a voice. Everyone did. He had never met a Pokémon that was incapable of speech. So why was he having such difficulty?

This was going from bad to worse. It was bad enough that he lost his latent abilities. It was worse that he couldn't justify his complaints about what he was going through; after all, _every other Pokémon_ had to live this way. But to not even be able to communicate with any of them, as they chirped and roared and squeaked to each other fluently...

_What was wrong with him?_

**Is something wrong? Meowth got your tongue? Or am I thinking of a Mew?**

That voice...

Mewtwo looked around quickly for the dark Pokémon who was subjecting him to these torments. He couldn't see it. Of course not. It was bright daylight out, even under the canopy of this forest. It wouldn't make itself visible any time soon.

And it was watching him. Mocking him. Enjoying the nightmare that it had given the former psychic.

**Understand this, psychic. You are not dreaming. It would be a pity if you could simply wake up from this.**

Mewtwo fumed. Why was this happening to him? Why would Darkrai do this? Even someone like it would have to have a reason. Otherwise, it wouldn't continue to talk to him.

**Am I talking to myself? Do you have a voice or not? Or have you just been hiding behind your psychic facade all this time?**

Mewtwo opened his mouth again. Still nothing.

**I should not be distracting you. Continue as you were. I will be content to watch. I look forward to seeing what you think you can do...**

There was a bright blue light, resembling a single eye, directly in front of Mewtwo's face.

**...and what you **_**actually can.**_

The forest became quiet again. After a lengthy pause, Mewtwo resumed his unguided journey.

* * *

After a few more hours of walking, Mewtwo started to feel hungry.

He checked around his environs. This was a forest. If he looked hard enough, there would probably be nuts and berries available. Perhaps fruit, if he was particularly lucky.

In under a minute, he had located a tree with discarded nutshells around it. He was starting to understand his limitations a little better, so he decided to resort purely to brute force. After a few seconds of shaking the branches, a number of nuts fell to the ground. His task complete, he leaned down to pick a few of them up.

"I've never seen you before."

Mewtwo turned to face the source of the voice. Shortly afterward, he was returning the gaze of a small yellow mouse that had been staring at him with a curious look.

A Pikachu, of course. He had met a number of them in his life. Some were better trained than others. This one looked young and naive.

"Are you a good kitty or a bad kitty?"

He rolled his eyes. Even if he could respond, how was he supposed to answer that question? He continued to look at the Pikachu while using a single hand to crack the nutshell held within.

"It's not nice to not answer."

Mewtwo was beginning to lose his patience. He tossed the nut into his mouth, dropped the shell, and knelt down before the Pikachu in a menacing manner, his body looming over the small mouse. His fingers dug into the ground, leaving a few trace lines of...

...the ground was soft. It was easy to make markings upon it. Inspiration struck. At least, he hoped it was inspired.

Using a single finger, he started tracing lines in the ground. He had not actually done anything like this before in his life, but he was familiar enough with the human language to be able to trace something resembling its letters. The Pikachu looked curiously at what he was writing.

_WHERE AM I_

"Those scratches are pretty."

He looked at the mouse slowly, and then shook his head in frustration. It was too much to expect a young Pokémon to be able to read. If he wanted any help, he was going to have to find someone else. Someone who spent more time in the company of...

"You want to see more scratches like those?"

The Pikachu still looked confused, yet his expression was eager. Mewtwo decided to humor him, lacking any other leads at the time. Trying his hardest to give a friendly smile, he stood up and gestured at the mouse. The mouse returned the look briefly, and then started to scurry off. Mewtwo followed closely.

A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Mewtwo could tell that the ground he was standing on had been flattened and well-traveled, and he would be surprised if this wasn't a regular thoroughfare.

"See? Up there on the wood."

Mewtwo had seen it before the Pikachu had pointed it out to him. A signpost, with arrows pointing in two directions. One read "VIRIDIAN". The other, "PEWTER". Those were names of cities, he recalled. If he followed the arrows, he could finally get out of this accursed forest.

The mouse had saved him. In the circumstances, it was only right to thank him for his help. He wasn't sure if he could. With few other options available, he knelt down before the Pikachu and held out one of the nuts that he had gathered. The Pikachu looked at him, then at the nut, and then snatched it with his small paws quickly. "Good kitty!"

Mewtwo couldn't help but smile at this. Despite everything that was happening to him, he felt like he was doing something right. He placed a second nut next to the Pikachu as it worked its teeth away at the first one, and then headed in the direction of the arrow marked PEWTER.

VIRIDIAN reminded him too much of Giovanni.

* * *

Even on the beaten path, it was not a short walk.

None of the wild Pokémon had attacked him, Mewtwo noticed. He wondered what would happen if they did. On one hand, he was considerably stronger than most of the specimens in this forest. On the other hand, even small bugs had a good chance of hurting him, and he didn't know if he even possessed any means of attacking them.

"It hurts..."

That was a... Squirtle? Mewtwo looked in the direction of the voice to find a young boy looking at said reptile. It looked injured. The Pidgey that was lying flat on a nearby log looked even worse.

"I'm sorry", the boy said. "I only have one potion. We can't get more until we get some more money. These trainers have bugs... a flying type is our only chance." He recalled the reptile into one of his Pokéballs. "I can't let you fight. I don't want you to end up like Caterpie."

"I'm tired... I need to rest..." the Pidgey barely managed.

The boy gave it the potion. "I'm counting on you, Pidgey."

Mewtwo couldn't help but wince. He didn't like the idea of Pokémon training. He didn't like seeing Pokémon battle each other to the point of unconsciousness. And he especially didn't like it when a human was incapable of understanding what his Pokémon was trying to tell him...

The boy looked up with a start. "Who's there?" Seconds later, he was staring directly at Mewtwo. "Leave me alone! Please! I don't have any more money for you! I don't want to capture you! My Pokémon... they..." He immediately grabbed his other Pokéball and recalled Pidgey. "Go away!"

...then again, the boy had fallen on hard times. He would rather risk himself than let his Pokémon suffer any worse injuries. He wasn't aggressive enough to attack Mewtwo on sight. And...

...he was a human... and humans could read.

Mewtwo knelt to the ground and started tracing his finger in the dirt. _GO TO TOWN_

The boy looked at his writing, then up at Mewtwo. "You can wr... what are you? What do you want?"

Mewtwo wrote again. _HELPING_

"But... no, I can't. I need the money. They need to get stronger. If I... I need to stock up on items... so they can survive... I don't know..."

_PIDGEY NEEDS REST_

"But... I gave it the... it's my only chance... what am I supposed to do?"

Mewtwo shook his head impatiently. With his other hand, he underlined his earlier line. _GO TO TOWN_

The boy frowned. "I can't make it. There are too many wild... they already got Caterpie... I can't let Squirtle..."

Before he had even given it a second thought, Mewtwo's finger was moving. _I WILL ESCORT_

"You... you will? Thank... what are you?"

Mewtwo hesitated. What could he tell this boy? He didn't want to give out his name. Calling himself a psychic Pokémon would be... misleading... at this time. And...

...in these circumstances, perhaps he needed a human more than the human needed him...

_A FRIEND_

_

* * *

_

Mewtwo tried to conceal himself as much as possible as he stood near the back wall of the Pewter City Pokémon Center. He didn't like being out and about in town before sunset. It made him too visible.

One of the windows slid open. As he glanced up, he saw what appeared to be a bedsheet dangling from one of the windowsills. He smiled. That was the signal that the boy had suggested earlier.

Unfortunately, that meant that the boy was several stories higher up than Mewtwo would have liked. Once again resigning himself to his fate, Mewtwo started to climb up the wall, using his fingers to find the best handholds that he could.

Thirty seconds later, he was lying flat on his back and in a small amount of pain. This was more difficult than he had expected. He was starting to wonder if it would have been a better idea to simply walk into the building and let everyone see him.

The second try worked. Almost. He lost his grip just shy of the bedsheet, and only managed to avoid falling by pitching backward and seizing the linen with his tail just in the nick of time. A few seconds later, the boy was pulling him through the open window by his hindquarters.

"I don't... you shouldn't sneak in like this", the boy said hesitantly. "Why can't you just... you know, go in?"

Off the top of his head, Mewtwo could think of three reasons to not answer that question. He continued to rub his hands over his tail, trying to soothe the pain.

"Are you shy?"

Mewtwo decided to nod in the affirmative to that question. Claiming that kind of social weakness appealed to him more than admitting that there were hundreds of humans in the world who would love to get their hands on him, and force him to obey them, and perform even more experiments on...

"I've got another Pokéball, actually. If you'd prefer that, that is..."

That was only slightly more acceptable than the experimenting, he considered.

The boy sat down on the bed heavily. "Well, here we are. We're in town. Just like you told me. The nurse says the others will be feeling better tonight. And I'm... still broke. Now what?"

A very good question, Mewtwo thought. He had suggested this trip largely because he knew that the boy's Pokémon could not withstand another fight. That didn't leave the boy with a lot of options, though. It would probably make sense to stay near the border of the town, allowing the Pokémon to gain some more battle practice against wild specimens, such that they could just go back to town and rest for free when they needed it. Once they were stronger, maybe...

...ugh, he thought. Why would he even think of sanctioning this cruel bloodsport? The boy deserved what he got. Maybe next time he'd know better than to force innocent creatures to fight.

...more importantly, what was he going to do about _himself_? Where should he go? Should he start building a new life for himself as a non-psychic Pokémon? What would such a life entail?

Or maybe... there was a way to set things right again. Was there some way to take back what he had lost?

There was a small pad of paper and a pen next to the video phone in the room. Complimentary, it said. This would suffice. Mewtwo did his best to grip the unfamiliar instrument in a comfortable manner, and then started writing on the notepad.

_I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DARK POKÉMON_

The boy took a look at the Pokémon's words and then shook his head. "Sorry. I don't know that kind of stuff. I guess I'm still new at this."

Mewtwo thought for a moment. _WHO DOES KNOW?_

The boy shrugged. "I'm not sure. Actually, I hear there's a museum here. They might know something. Maybe you should start there?"

The pen started moving immediately. _I DON'_

"...oh, yeah. I guess you can't do that if you're... um... a coward, right?"

The pen dropped from Mewtwo's fingers immediately, the better to allow his hands to grasp the boy's shoulders as he glared angrily at him. The boy looked up at the furious purple eyes, and his voice struggled to speak again. "I... I mean... I didn't mean it like... it's just... you know, you're not going to... uh... get too far in life if you... you know, you're always shy like that... ow... please, my shoulders hurt..."

Mewtwo released him and bent down to pick up the pen again._ I CA_

He didn't finish. He wasn't sure what he wanted to write. It was so much easier to make a compelling argument when you knew what the other person was trying to say, and could compose your statements to address that. Without that direct connection to the boy's thought processes, he simply couldn't seem to explain himself as well as he should.

He once again cursed Darkrai's name to himself. Once again, he was going to be left to his own devices.

Just like every other Pokémon.

Without his ability to read minds, he would just have to hold a normal conversation. One in writing instead of speech, and directed at a human instead of a Pokémon, but a normal conversation nonetheless.

Without his abilities, he was just an average Pokémon. Just like everyone else.

And none of the other Pokémon were in hiding...

Mewtwo scratched out his earlier letters and surrendered himself to his logic. _WILL YOU GO WITH ME_

"Sure, no pr..." the boy started, and then corrected himself. "...there's an entry fee. I'm sorry. I forgot about it. I don't have enough to get us in."

There was a short pause as the Pokémon thought.

_HOW MUCH DO WE NEED_

_

* * *

_

The boy stood on the outskirts of town, looking innocent yet alert.

"Hey, kid. Fancy a battle?"

The new arrival was a slightly older teenager wearing a jacket. He held a Pokéball in one hand and kept a pair of backups on his belt. His expression was that of undying confidence.

"I don't know", the boy said. "My Pokémon are hurt... I've only got one left."

"One's enough for a battle", the teen finished. "Come on. I'll make it quick."

The boy sighed in an overdramatic manner. "Fine." He turned to look at the trees behind him. "I choose you."

That was the cue. Mewtwo emerged from behind the foliage and walked up to the teenager. His eyes were filled with contempt for the trainer, and his posture betrayed the amount of innate power that he still retained, even after his ordeal.

The teenager's jaw dropped.

* * *

Mewtwo and the boy sat outside the Pokémon Center, waiting. The boy had an angry expression on his face.

"Why did you do that?" he admonished. "You could have taken him!"

At first, Mewtwo had been hesitant to believe that. After all, even in a battle, he had always been reliant on his psychic attacks and mind-altering abilities. Without them at his disposal, he wasn't sure if he could do anything against such an opponent.

That was before he realized that he still had at least one attack at his disposal. A barrage of energy stars, formed from some type of inner power that was decidedly not mental, had emerged from his body and struck the teenager's Rhydon at a high velocity. He didn't have a name for this attack; he never thought that such things were necessary. The boy had described his assault as "swift", but hadn't explained why.

The attack was more than enough. The Rhydon had collapsed almost instantly, forcing the teenager to choose another Pokémon. A Butterfree. A sad-looking Butterfree, most likely brought up from the Caterpies in the forest. If his attack had taken down the Rhydon so quickly, the Butterfree would be even simpler.

And then it would have collapsed in a great deal of pain, just like the Rhydon had. And in the end, the trainer would have been left with considerably fewer funds and a number of unconscious Pokémon. Pokémon that had done nothing to deserve their fate, except follow the orders of the human who forcibly captured and commanded them, and called himself their trainer. And the mental image of a fundless trainer and his unconscious Pokémon reminded Mewtwo too much of the way he had found this boy, when he had first taken pity on him and assisted him...

He had been unable to bring himself to do it. Mewtwo had left without finishing the match.

It would be so much easier to rationalize this, he thought, if Pokémon were allowed to beat up the opposing trainers and take their money, leaving their Pokémon unscathed. Then again, the Pokémon training business would quickly dry up under those conditions...

"We're not going to make any money that way!"

_I SAID I WAS SORRY_

The door opened behind them. The teenager came out; the Butterfree perched on his shoulder. "Your Pokémon there really did a number on Rhydon. He'll need till tomorrow to recover."

Mewtwo exhaled sharply. He had been expecting the worst, so this outcome was oddly relieving.

The boy tensed slightly. "Look... about that, um..."

"Can we go back in?" the Butterfree asked in its high-pitched buzz. "They had food in there."

"It's no biggie", the teen said. "Can't be a trainer without accepting some losses, ya know?"

"I guess so", the boy replied.

"Speaking of which..."

"Please? I haven't eaten yet today."

"What Butterfree's trying to say", the teen continued with a smirk on his face, "is that you forfeited."

The boy started. "What? I didn't tell it to..."

"I won, right? Can we please get food now?"

"Even when it's because your Pokémon doesn't listen, it's still a loss." The teen pulled out a Pokédex. "That's the rules. I don't make them up."

"But..."

"No buts, kid. Pay up."

The Butterfree was getting anxious. "And then food, right?"

The boy looked glumly at his feet. "I don't have any money", he admitted.

"_What? _You _don't? _So what were you doing, challenging me?"

"I didn't think it mattered if I won!"

The teen took a step forward. "But you didn't, did you?"

The boy turned to the side and gave Mewtwo a dirty look. Mewtwo didn't notice. He was too busy writing something on the notepad, his mouth twisted in annoyance.

"Look, if there's anything..."

"I can't believe this! If you don't have anything to wager, you shouldn't be battling trainers! Don't you know anything?"

"So... hungry..."

"...I mean, if the gym finds out you're doing this, you could lose your right to be a trainer."

"WHAT?" the boy shouted in disbelief. "You can't be serious! After everything I've been through, you think..."

There was a loud ripping sound. As the boy trailed off, his train of thought interrupted, Mewtwo took the torn page from the notepad and held it out impatiently in the direction of the teenager. The teenager, equally surprised by the noise, looked at it.

_BUTTERFREE IS HUNGRY_

"What? What do you mean..." He trailed off as he looked at the insect on his shoulder. "...no... I haven't given you food yet today, have I?"

"Look", the boy said. "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

"Hold off on that for a bit. I need to... uh... what's the name of your Pokémon?"

The boy shrugged. "It never said."

"Well... um..." the teenager stumbled over his words, looking at Mewtwo. "You, you understand Butterfree, right? Well, could you tell him... um... I need to run a quick errand at the Pokémart, and then I'll make sure he gets enough to eat?"

The boy scratched his head. "I don't know if it can. It never said a word to any of my..."

Before he finished, Mewtwo was holding the notepad up. _NO_, it read. With a slight hint of a smile on his face, the Pokémon turned it over to reveal the other side. _YOU JUST TOLD HIM_

Indeed, the Butterfree was visibly acting calmer and more content than before. The teenager smiled briefly. "Oh, I did, didn't I? Well..." He trailed off, turning his attention to the boy again. "Anyway, thanks for that. I don't know what I would have done if... look. I'll call it even. You're new at training, right? Consider this a friendly warning. Don't ever fight a wager match unless you have a wager, okay? I mean, it's not much fun if there isn't something to be gained, right?" He looked at the Butterfree again. "Look, I gotta go. Thanks again." And with that, he headed off in the direction of the Pokémart. Mewtwo watched him leave with a look of concern.

The boy breathed a sigh of relief. "That was bad", he said. He glanced over at Mewtwo. "I'm just glad you were able to work everything..."

"Excuse me?"

The two looked up to see a middle-aged woman holding what appeared to be a Zubat in her arms. She had an unusual look on her face. "I couldn't help but overhear... sorry to intrude... are you saying your Pokémon can translate?"

The boy blinked. Several times. Mewtwo, he noticed, had a thoughtful look on his face. After a few seconds, the Pokémon nodded in her direction.

"Oh, good. See, Batty here has been noisier than usual lately, and I can't help but get the feeling that it's trying to tell me something. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you..."

The boy interrupted. "I'm sure we can help you, ma'am." He glanced at Mewtwo once more, and then back at the woman. "For a small fee."

* * *

The good news, Mewtwo reflected, was that he was inside the museum, free to figure out his next course of action, and the boy who accompanied him had enough spending money for a few useful items.

The bad news was that, once word of mouth had spread and the mad rush to take advantage of his service had ensued, almost every human in town had gotten a good look at him and figured out that he wasn't an ordinary Pokémon. And he couldn't do anything significant to change this.

Then again, he had yet to convince himself that he could find out anything here. Maybe it was a good idea to earn that kind of reputation, just in case he was forced to build himself a new life. In this situation, he really couldn't do much more than handle every moment as it occurred.

"Not much about dark Pokémon here", the boy said from across the room. "They're not too common around Kanto."

Disappointing, Mewtwo thought. He walked to the child's position, writing as he moved. _WHAT ABOUT GHOSTS_

"Ghosts? Um... yeah, they have a few things on those. Why?"

_THEY ARE RELATED_, Mewtwo wrote. To be honest, he wasn't sure about that, but he tended to associate the two groups with each other nonetheless. Both preferred the night, both were obsessed with dark colors, and both were highly annoying to meet when you were a psychic.

"It says there's a town called Lavender where ghosts have been seen a lot."

_WHERE IS LAVENDER_

"Uh... I don't know. I've never heard of it."

Mewtwo couldn't decide what annoyed him more: the fact that this boy didn't possess the amount of knowledge he expected people to need to be able to survive out in the wilderness long enough to become Pokémon trainers, or the fact that he hadn't bothered to learn the geography of the world himself. Teleportation tended to make such matters extraneous, after all.

"Still, I think this place has... yeah, I got a map. It's gotta be on there, right?"

That would do. Mewtwo took a look at the document. It resembled a small labyrinth of roads that wound through the Kanto region and connected the cities that littered the landscape. Lavender was easy to find; it was the furthest city name to the east.

Most of the towns had smaller names under them. Lavender did not.

_WHY NO NAME_

"Oh, that's a reference for trainers. I guess Lavender doesn't have a gym. See, they give you the name of the gym leader next to each town name." He started pointing down the map in a manner that Mewtwo found annoyingly condescending. "Cerulean has Misty, Saffron has Sabrina, and Vermillion has Surge. You get the..."

Before he could finish, Mewtwo had grabbed the map away from him and was scribbling notes onto his pad. Every few seconds, his eyes darted toward the map, then back at the notepad. "Um... what are you writing?"

Mewtwo didn't answer. He looked at the notepad thoughtfully, and then drew a few more lines. He glanced upward for a moment and then made another note. This completed, he held the map in the direction of the boy with a smile on his face.

The boy took it hesitantly. "Well?"

Mewtwo turned the page and started writing again. _I HAVE AN IDEA._ He flipped back to the previous page and pointed at what he had drawn.

A quick reproduction of part of the map, complete with roads. A few arrows over certain parts. As the boy looked, the arrows led past a town marked Celadon and led directly to Saffron.

Next to the town, the word "_SABRINA_" was written. And circled. Several times.

* * *

Night had fallen upon Pewter City. Mewtwo stood at the window, looking out from the Pokémon Center upon the gym that was situated nearby. A few trainers were leaving at the time. Whether they had succeeded or not, Mewtwo couldn't tell.

Sabrina would be living in a similar gym. And it was nearly impossible to be a psychic Pokémon without knowing about Sabrina.

This was not common for gym leaders. For instance, the gym Mewtwo was watching was led by a man named Flint. (This contradicted the map, which claimed that it was still being run by Flint's son Brock, but not all reference materials were expected to be timely.) Flint was known as an expert with rock Pokémon, and his gym was considered the Kanto authority on them. Still, there were still many rock Pokémon who had never met or heard about him.

By contrast, the very instant that a trainer of psychic Pokémon started developing such abilities herself, every psychic in the immediate area knew about it. Such minds were able to sense each other, after all.

The fact that she was a caretaker of psychics alone wouldn't have convinced Mewtwo to seek her out. But she had successfully trained her mind to a level surpassing that of many Abras, and she had even started training other people to harness the same potential. And she was _a human_. Humans weren't born with those kinds of abilities. Even if she didn't know how to cure his condition, Mewtwo had reason to believe that she would be able to teach him to use them again. From scratch, if necessary.

That was, if she would even give him the time of day. Mewtwo had always tried to hide his existence in the past, and when it came to psychics, that meant forcibly breaking the connection every time her mind started to become aware of him...

The room's door opened behind him. The boy entered quietly, three Pokéballs and a bag tightly held in his arms. "The nurse says they're feeling better now." He sat on the bed. "Did I thank you for helping me yet? I can't remember."

Mewtwo looked away from the window only long enough to pick up the notepad and pen again. Fixing his gaze on the gym again, he started writing.

"I'm starting to wonder. Maybe they're not ready for their first gym battle yet." He checked his bag. "Maybe these potions will be enough. Then again, I don't want to use them up too soon. What do you think?"

Mewtwo handed him the notepad. _WE LEAVE TOMORROW_

"Oh, yeah," the boy said as he nodded. "I forgot. You don't like battling." A brief pause. "So... uh... you'll be going to see Sabrina, then? I don't know why, but..."

He stopped, realizing what had been written. "We?"

Mewtwo turned to face him again and held out the pen, writing on the pad as the boy continued to hold it. _ONLY TRAINERS CAN ENTER GYMS_

"I think that's the rule, yeah." The boy looked at Mewtwo oddly. "You want me to be your trainer?"

The question hadn't been posed for even a second before Mewtwo wrote his succinct reply. _**NO**_

Before the boy could manage anything more than a surprised stare, Mewtwo continued writing in a more patient manner. _I ONLY NEED TO GET INSIDE TO SPEAK WITH HER_

"So... you want me to lie to a gym leader for your sake."

The pen did not move. The Pokémon continued to stare at him, giving him the distinct indication that it was exactly what he was asking him to do. "I shouldn't. I'm just a new trainer. Maybe someone else..."

_I SAVED YOUR POKÉMON. I EARNED YOU MONEY. REPAY ME._

The boy glared at him as he wrote. "If I knew you were gonna do this, I wouldn't have let you help me."

Mewtwo was getting annoyed quickly. If he had retained his abilities, this wouldn't have been such a big deal. He could have simply mind-controlled the kid and forced him to do what he asked, and he wouldn't have complained...

He hesitated. When he thought about it in those terms, it really did make him sound cruel.

The boy was adamant. Perhaps it was time for a different approach. One that would prove that he wasn't trying to take advantage of him.

_LET ME EXPLAIN._ The boy read this, nodded, and handed the notepad back to Mewtwo. The Pokémon took it, smiled, and started writing. Every few seconds, he paused in thought, making sure that he was phrasing his words in an effective manner. A few minutes later, he clicked the pen again and handed the notepad back to the boy.

_I AM A PSYCHIC POKÉMON. A DARK POKÉMON ATTACKED ME AND TOOK AWAY MY ABILITIES. I WISH TO RECLAIM THEM. I BELIEVE SABRINA CAN HELP, BUT I CANNOT MEET HER WITHOUT A TRAINER._

The boy read it again, just to be sure. "That's a hard story to believe", he noted as he looked up again.

Mewtwo had taken a seat on the floor, looking unhappily at his legs. He couldn't believe that he had convinced himself to do that. People didn't need to know any part of his life story. People didn't need to know that he was a psychic. And most importantly, people didn't need to know that he was imperfect and capable of failure. Writing something like that was practically an invitation for them to capture him against his will and take advantage of his abilities.

"...you're serious", the boy eventually decided. "But I... I just don't know if I should do this."

Mewtwo sighed. He had written that much already. He should have just abandoned subtlety entirely.

_WHEN I RECOVER, I WILL REWARD YOU._ A pregnant pause. _A GRATEFUL PSYCHIC CAN BE __VERY__ USEFUL._

_

* * *

_

It was close to midnight now.

The boy was fast asleep in the room's sole bed. Mewtwo had recommended that he get as much rest as possible. They would be leaving at sunrise tomorrow, and it would be a very long walk even at a reasonably fast pace. He wanted to make it to Saffron before the gym closed, after all.

He simply didn't trust the night.

The night wasn't giving him much of an option. As he looked up from his seated position toward the closed window, he could see the sinister form of Darkrai floating behind the glass. Its single eye remained focused on him, yet the dark Pokémon said nothing.

It didn't need to. The implication was clear. It was watching him. His actions were of interest to it. And he would be unable to do anything to take it by surprise.

He wished that it would imply other things. For instance, that he could set foot outside the building at night without fear of being attacked. If not for the fact that Pokémon Centers were designed to keep hostile Pokémon out, it might have already tried to do so.

Mewtwo finally decided to put his faith in the building's design and managed to fall asleep. If nothing else, he hoped that Darkrai would be able to witness his dreams through the window, while being completely unable to affect them himself.

It would serve him right.


	2. Day Two

The boy slept soundly, wrapped snugly in the blankets that the room had provided. Mewtwo stood over him, watching. When he looked closely, he could almost make out a small smile on his innocent-looking face.

He felt oddly envious.

Mewtwo no longer had the means to figure out why the boy was smiling. Normally, he would have been able to sense the emotion coming from the boy. Or he could have taken some time to read his thoughts and get a general impression of his dreams. Some psychics had it even better; they could forcibly intrude on the boy's dreams and become part of them themselves. Such an ability was not within the scope of his usual power, though. Even less his current power.

Darkrai could do that as well, he recalled. That was another reason to envy the boy. He didn't have a compelling reason to be fearful for his safety. He could slumber without worry.

Mewtwo looked at the window. No sign of the dark Pokémon. It had probably found something more interesting to do than watch him sleep.

He became aware of the feeling in his chest again. That was the most significant reason of all, he remembered. The boy could continue to sleep soundly. He didn't have any vaguely unsettling reasons to wake up in the middle of the night.

Normally, he would have roused the boy with a quick mental suggestion that would have felt mostly natural. Instead, he had little choice but to directly awaken him. And given the Pokémon's lack of voice, it would have to be a physical gesture.

He used his tail.

The boy awoke immediately in a state of near shock. Mewtwo couldn't help but feel guilty about this.

After a few seconds, the boy's attention refocused itself. Quietly, he turned his head to face the psychic. "Wh... it's not light out... why did you wake me?"

Mewtwo had written down the answer to the question long before he had disturbed the boy. He held it up. _I AM HUNGRY_

"Oh." The boy frowned. "I thought you told me..."

Before he finished, Mewtwo turned the notepad over. His expression had become worried.

_I SHOULD NOT BE HUNGRY_

* * *

**Day Two**

* * *

The Pokémon Center's doors were open to trainers twenty-four hours a day. This was expected. However, in recent years, the increased dark Pokémon population in the area, as well as an increase in demand, led the owners to expand their other services to those hours as well.

In short, this meant that there remained a few staff members on duty to provide food to the boy and his Pokémon, even though it would be at least another hour until sunrise.

Squirtle, Pidgey, and Caterpie were content to remain on the floor near the table, happily wolfing down their meal. Mewtwo opted to sit opposite the boy, carefully positioned to not apply weight to his tail, and eat more slowly as he attempted to explain things to his faux trainer via notepad.

_THEY WOULD NOT ADMIT ME WITHOUT A TRAINER_

The boy nodded slowly as he chewed. "Sounds right. So... uh... what's going on, then?"

The Pokémon thought about how to best explain this. _I USUALLY FEEL NOURISHED AFTER I SLEEP_

"Oh?"

_IT IS NOT JUST HUNGER. WHEN I SLEEP, I FEEL HEALTHIER AND STRONGER, AS IF THE MERE ACT OF DOING SO CAN FULFILL ALL OF MY PHYSICAL NEEDS._

"Rest?"

_IT DID NOT HAPPEN THIS TIME. I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE CAUSE._

"I just said. Rest."

Mewtwo shook his head. _I FEEL FULLY RESTED. IT CA_

"No! Just listen!" The boy took a breath before continuing. "It's a move. Rest. I think it's a psychic move. The Pokémon falls asleep and gets healed."

A psychic ability. Of course.

Mewtwo clicked the pen. _THE DESCRIPTION SOUNDS ACC_

He stopped. After a slight pause, he started writing a different sentence. _YOU GIVE NAMES TO OUR NATURAL ABILITIES?_

The boy shrugged. "Well, yeah. It makes it easier to give orders. Like your Swift from yesterday. That way, when you're in a fight..."

_THAT IS RIDICULOUS._ Mewtwo shook his head as he wrote. _I WOULD NOT EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO ORDER YOU TO YAWN OR HOLD OUT YOUR HAND OR RUB YOUR HEAD. AND I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT USE A SPECIFIC COMMAND WORD EACH TIME._

"But that's the way we do this!" the boy started shouting. "That way they know what they need to do!"

_YOU FORCE THEM TO MEMORIZE TH_

"What? No, they already know them! I don't know why, but... look. Watch this." The boy stood up and pointed at the Squirtle underneath the table. "Squirtle, Withdraw!"

The turtle didn't hesitate. Less than two seconds later, he was resting comfortably within his shell, his body prepared to weather any attacks that might have been directed at it.

Mewtwo stared at the Squirtle for a few more seconds. Then his hand clenched tightly around the pen, and he started writing at a furious rate. _IS THIS HOW YOU TRAIN? ALL YOU DO IS TELL A SQUIRTLE TO WITHDRAW AND IT GOES INTO ITS SHELL? WHAT IF IT REFUSES?_

The boy blinked. "I don't know. It hasn't come up. I just give the order and they know what they..."

The notepad and the pen hit the table audibly as Mewtwo stood up and stormed out of the dining area.

* * *

Mewtwo looked out the window of the bedroom and waited impatiently for the sun to rise. If not for the fact that it was still dark out, he might have left the Pokémon Center right then and there. No matter what happened, he preferred his continued survival to escaping from this mockery.

And he had thought that his opinion of Pokémon training couldn't have plummeted any lower.

He remembered a time when he had his own trainer. Giovanni was his name. He was the one who funded his creation, and convinced him to help him in his duties as a gym leader and all-around bastard.

He was a liar. He was a thief. He cared nothing about the plights of others as long as he could satisfy his greed and desire for power. And in the end, it had become all too clear to Mewtwo that his master viewed him as a tool, rather than as a living being.

...but even Giovanni had retained enough common decency to allow him to fight in whatever manner he saw fit.

At this moment, he didn't even want to _pretend_ to have a trainer. Some young kid who would not only force him to fight, but would force him to fight in the way he was told. Hit the other Pokémon? Okay! Dodge that attack? It's not like he was planning on standing there and taking it! Float upward into the air? How high?

He shook his head. That's right. He couldn't float at all. Not unless he found a way to regain his abilities.

...from a human. One who specifically helped these kids order Pokémon around...

The door opened behind him, and the boy entered. "Oh, good. You're here." He started fumbling through his words. "Look... um... I... I know you hate me... what I do... I... I'm sorry. But... it's just... it's always been like this. I don't know... if it's as bad as you say... I think someone might have stopped it by now."

Mewtwo turned to look at the boy. His expression was sad, yet his eyes remained honest. Inexperienced, yet honest. He wasn't lying. He might have been wrong, but that wasn't the same thing. It would be best to explain to him just why...

...no. He couldn't. In his anger, he had abandoned his equipment.

The boy understood immediately. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, holding up the pad of paper. A second later, he was holding it out for the psychic to take. He did so.

Before he could even remove the pen from the pages to which it had been clipped, the boy continued. "I thought about that last night, too. I was thinking, you know, these Pokémon are stronger than I am." He gestured to one of the Pokéballs that were now attached to his belt. "Squirtle's kinda young, and I think he's going to have to evolve twice before he reaches his full power. Yet if I tried to fight him today, he'd win. Easily. I mean, when you think about it, it's a good thing that most Pokémon don't try to hurt me.

"Then I started thinking. If they're so much stronger than us, why do they listen? I thought maybe it was the Pokéballs, but... you know, when you see a wild Pokémon, and you send out one of your own, it always goes after the Pokémon. If it really wanted to end the fight... or save my Pokémon, it should aim for me, right?

"So... I don't know. It sounds stupid, and you'll probably think it's an insult, but... after what you said about the commands... I can't help but think that maybe Pokémon have some... instinct?... that makes them _want_ to be trained."

Mewtwo thought about this for a moment. He had to agree with the boy. It did sound stupid.

He removed the pen and started writing again. _I HAVE NOT NEEDED A TRAINER TO BECOME STRONGER_

"Hmm... maybe you're right. I don't know." The boy took a breath. "I don't think I'm a bad person. The other three seem to like me. If I'm doing something wrong, I'd like to..."

Mewtwo held up a single three-fingered hand, and the boy trailed off. Shaking his head, he wrote for about a minute, and then handed the notepad to the boy.

_I DO NOT HATE YOU. I HATE TRAINING. THE VERY IDEA CONTINUES TO OFFEND ME. BUT I CANNOT AND WILL NOT ASK YOU TO STOP._

The boy turned the page and continued reading. _I JUST WANT THIS TO END. FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, I NEED SABRINA. TO MEET WITH HER, I NEED YOU TO BE A TRAINER. GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, MY ONLY HOPE IS TO LIVE WITH IT._

"...this is hard for you, isn't it?" He looked up at the Pokémon. "Please, if I can do anything..."

The pen swept across the notepad quickly, underlining one phrase. _I JUST WANT THIS TO END._

* * *

The road leading east from Pewter was surprisingly uneven. Mewtwo was hard-pressed to call it a road, considering the small amount of climbing necessarily to follow it through the valley. Fortunately for him and the majority of trainers in the area, it was traversable without any need for levitation.

The sun had not fully risen yet, but he was not interested in waiting around much longer. It was late enough that any dark Pokémon would be more interested in turning in for the day than seeking out prey. Besides, he figured that he wanted as much time to reach his destination as was convenient.

"You got enough to eat, right?" asked the boy walking next to him.

This question didn't warrant the use of a writing utensil. Mewtwo merely nodded his head without breaking his stride.

"You're sure? You left in a hurry."

Another nod, although this time he also turned his head to give the boy an impatient look.

"Sorry. I just... oh, that's right. I almost forgot. I saved something for you." He fished into his pocket and came out with what appeared to be a pair of small cubes; one blue, one pink. "They were giving these out. Some kind of candy. I've never heard of them, but they said they're popular overseas. I thought... maybe you'd like..."

Mewtwo hesitantly reached over and took one of them from the boy. He held it closer and smelled at it. The scent resembled that of fruit. He looked at the boy again, and then placed it into his mouth. He wasn't certain if he was meant to chew on it or merely hold it in his mouth.

It went quickly and wasn't too filling. It tasted like berries, and he found the flavor enjoyable to some extent. He didn't know if he could say that he wanted to eat it, but...

He grabbed the notepad quickly. _WATER_

The boy looked at his writing, confused. "What? You mean... uh... you see water, or you need Squirtle to..."

Mewtwo cut him off, pointing frantically at his open mouth. The boy quickly went for his bag, shuffled through a few things, and finally produced a small canteen. The Pokémon took it quickly and poured an amount into his mouth.

The boy stared at him, perplexed. "It made you that thirsty?"

It would have been difficult to write while he continued to hold the canteen. It probably didn't need an explanation, either. The candy had been dry to the mouth, yes, but that was not the only cause.

Back at the Pokémon Center... he didn't want to say anything at the time, but the meal he had been given was almost as dry. Whatever he and the other three had received was not the food he typically ate. He didn't usually eat things that were designed for Pokémon consumption; those usually came from people who actually had reasons to feed Pokémon, such as trainers. No, he had spent his life eating things that occurred naturally in the wild.

Recently he had started eating food that had been made for humans. It was easy enough to obtain. All he had to do was find the most appetizing smell and persuade the owner to part with it. Such persuasion usually took the form of hypnotic suggestion with the occasional memory edit later, true, but the results were worth it...

He handed the canteen back to the boy, looking almost embarrassed, and then wrote his response. _IT DRIED MY MOUTH_

"Oh", the boy said. "You don't like it?"

The Pokémon shook his head. _IT WAS FINE. JUST DRY._

"I see." The boy took a sip from the canteen as well, and then placed it back in his bag. He closed it tightly in a manner that would keep anything from falling out, and then looked up again to find the notepad being held in his direction again.

_THANK YOU_

The boy smiled. "For the candy or for the water?"

Mewtwo simply nodded. Seconds later, the two resumed their journey.

He wasn't exactly sure how to convey the fact that, for a number of reasons, it had been a long time since anyone had ever wanted to give him something.

* * *

"Way to go, Pidgey! Return!"

When the two started running into other trainers, Mewtwo had first tried to ignore the process. He had said earlier that he was going to try to accept that the boy was a trainer, but he had been planning on doing so by not getting involved at all. But the battles were proving to be more distracting than he had hoped, and in the end he had found himself paying attention.

This was different from usual. His past experiences with Pokémon battles had been largely painful for him to witness, considering all the screams of pain and how a large number of the entrants needed severe medical attention afterward. And this was not counting Darkrai's complete mockery of the process, which he could only describe as traumatizing.

He had listened to the Pidgey and the Ekans during the battle, responding to their trainers and unleashing the instructed attacks. And... for some reason, this was different from before. They weren't fighting. They were _competing_. There was little malice between the two. When the Ekans had fallen, his hiss of defeat was that of a snake that could no longer fight, rather than one who would never crawl again. And the Pidgey, despite sporting several bite wounds that had been left by poisonous fangs, took joy in its victory without finding joy in its opponent's defeat.

If more Pokémon battles were like this, he thought, he could almost understand why so many humans were interested in them.

One thing continued to bother him. He decided to ask.

_WHY DID YOU ACCEPT HIS CHALLENGE?_

The boy looked up from counting the prize money to read his query. "I wouldn't be much of a trainer if I ran away from it."

Mewtwo shook his head and wrote again. _WE HAVE OTHER OBLIGATIONS. YOU COULD HAVE TOLD HIM THAT YOU WERE IN A HURRY._

"It... doesn't work that way." The boy paused for a moment, and then finished his thoughts. "If your Pokémon can fight, you have to accept challenges."

_FOR MONEY?_ He remembered something else. _HE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS WAITING._

"...yeah. Some trainers do that. I did it yesterday, remember?"

_BUT YOU WAITED FOR THAT TRAINER TO CHALLENGE YOU FIRST. THIS ONE_

He stopped for a moment. His thoughts were becoming uncomfortable, and he rethought how he wanted to phrase this.

_COULD HAVE BEEN A TRAP TO VICTIMIZE YOU_

The boy hesitated, but responded quickly. "But it wasn't. I'm telling you, this way works. You can go anywhere and find a battle."

If Mewtwo could have grumbled, he would have done so. The boy was being entirely too naive. Maybe if he had been the victim of Darkrai's ambush, or if he had seen the way that Giovanni's beloved Team Rocket easily turned this innate trust between trainers into a large foundation of his crime wave, he would have realized how flawed this policy truly was.

_THERE IS NO GOOD REASON TO KEEP TRAINERS FROM REFUSING CHALLENGES_

The boy looked at him oddly. "...maybe. I wonder. I think Pidgey and them would be a lot weaker if they didn't fight the battles in front of..."

"Hey! Kid! Let's battle!"

Mewtwo had learned what to do in this situation. He moved to the side and looked unassuming. Behind him, the boy smiled. "Right!" Three seconds later, Pidgey was out again, staring down the fiercer-looking Spearow that his opponent had released. "Pidgey, Gust!"

The psychic turned to watch the smaller of the two birds produce what appeared to be a miniature tornado and send it at the larger. It may not have looked too impressive, but it worked.

_

* * *

_

GUST?

The boy nodded. "Pidgey learned a new move. Like I said, they get stronger."

_I KNOW._ Mewtwo paused to turn the page again. _I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BECOME STRONGER AND DISCOVER NEW POTENTIAL._

Of course he did. That wasn't the part that confused him. "So why did you ask?" the boy asked.

Mewtwo wasn't paying attention to the question. His attention had drifted away from the conversation and to the end of the canyon that was keeping them from continuing east. Thinking quickly, he flipped back several pages in his pad to find the makeshift map he had made.

The boy noticed. "What's going on?"

Mewtwo used a finger to mark the map's position as he flipped to the nearly blank page and started writing again. _DID WE GO THE WRONG WAY?_

The boy looked around. "I don't think so. See that cave over there? I think we need to go in to make it to Cerulean."

_WE ARE NOT GOING PAST CERULEAN. _The Pokémon's expression was angry. _WE WENT THE WRONG WAY._

"What? This is the only way east without a boat!"

Mewtwo looked at the map again. His planned route was sound. He just... went too far north, apparently.

_WE WILL RETURN TO PEWTER_

"Why? We've already come this far! Let's just go through here and we'll..."

The Pokémon interrupted with a single line across the notepad. _WE WILL RETURN TO PEWTER_

"That'll take too long! Cerulean's right next to Saffron, right? It'll be just as quick!"

_I WILL NOT ENTER THAT CAVE_

"Why not? Are you afraid of the dark or something?"

The very instant that Mewtwo turned toward him, the boy was prepared for another angry glare from those purple eyes. He didn't get it. The face of the Pokémon seemed... downright miserable.

_I NEVER WANTED IT TO HAPPEN_

The boy looked at him in a confused manner, before he came up with a guess. "Is this about that dark Pokémon?"

A nod. _I CANNOT FIGHT THE DARK._ Mewtwo hesitated for a moment, then finished. _WHY MUST THE DARK ATTACK ME?_

"Look, it's not that big a deal. I mean, you can think of it as a challenge." The boy gestured toward the cave. "If you go into the cave and face that fear, you'll be stronger, right? Just like when I fight those trainers."

The psychic was becoming frustrated. He flipped to a new page and wrote quickly on it for about half a minute, then handed it to the boy again. This pattern was starting to become predictable to the boy; it was a sign that the Pokémon was feeling vulnerable, he was having a difficult time explaining why, and he needed to write in this manner so that he could think about it and express his feelings at length.

_IT IS NOT THE SAME. DARK POKÉMON ARE __IMMUNE__ TO ANYTHING I CAN DO, WITH OR WITHOUT MY ABILITIES. I CAN LITERALLY DO NOTHING TO THEM, AND AT LEAST ONE OF THEM IS AFTER ME._

_IF THIS IS SIMILAR TO A TRAINER, THEN IT IS THE KIND THAT SENDS HIS POKÉMON AFTER YOU WHEN ALL OF YOUR POKÉMON ARE UNCONSCIOUS, SIMPLY TO TAKE YOUR MONEY. YOU SAID THAT TRAINERS CANNOT DO THIS. WILD POKÉMON HAVE NO SUCH RESTRICTION._

_THIS IS NOT A CHALLENGE. THIS IS A DEATHTRAP. __I AM NOT GOING INTO THE CAVE._

The boy looked up. The psychic was already walking back along the path to Pewter.

"Um... I don't think there are any dark Pokémon in Mount Moon."

The psychic didn't stop.

* * *

Mewtwo was powerless. In more ways than one.

What he was saying sounded stupid, but it was true. If he ever met another dark Pokémon, it would be able to destroy him without his being able to put up any kind of defense. Darkrai had proven that to him already, and thanks to his interference, he was considerably less capable now than he was then.

Even worse, his method of ensuring his own safety sounded so ridiculous in writing that _a human_ was calling him weak. And two days ago, those who knew of him considered him one of the strongest Pokémon in existence.

Darkrai was right. This was the very definition of a nightmare. Leave it to a dark Pokémon to know exactly how to make his target as frightened and depressed as possible, to the point that he continued to be defeated long after the battle ended.

"Wait up!" The boy had resorted to running to catch up with him. "Please! Listen to me! You can't just give up!"

He turned his head to look at the boy. He was being emotional and adamant again. Mewtwo had yet to decide if this annoyed him.

"You said you wanted to find Sabrina? She's past that cave! I know you can do this!"

He started writing. _I KNOW ANOTHER WAY_

"What? To Sabrina?"

_YES_

"If you say so." The boy paused. "I still think..."

_I NO LONGER WISH TO DISCUSS THIS_

The boy grumbled. "If you keep acting like this, I'm not sure you'll make it the other way, either." He shook his head. "Please. I want to help."

_YOU SHOULD NOT BECOME TOO INVOLVED. HE MIGHT COME AFTER YOU NEXT._

The boy didn't even bother to think about that statement. "I'm worried about you, not him!"

_I WILL BE FINE ONCE WE REACH SAFFRON_

"Are you sure? You really don't want me to help you?"

_YOUR PRESENCE IS THE ONLY HELP I NEED_

The boy frowned. "What about my Pokémon? Can they help?"

Mewtwo shook his head. _I CANNOT EVEN SPEAK TO THEM NOW_

"Neither can I. That isn't stopping me."

_THEY CAN UNDERSTAND YOU_

"And I can understand you, and you can understand them. It'll work."

It probably would, the Pokémon considered. That was the basis of their short-lived translation service, after all. At least, if the other Pokémon had something worth saying.

_THEY ARE TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND. EVEN THEN, I THINK THEY WILL AGREE THAT I SHOULD NOT BATTLE AGAINST AN IMMUNE OPPONENT._

The boy winced. This was not working in the slightest.

Mewtwo saw this, and started writing again. _I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN, BUT IT IS UNNECESSARY. MY PLAN WILL WORK. BELIEVE THAT._

The boy read this, and nodded.

The two continued walking for a while, neither one saying or writing anything. There were no trainers on the road now; they must have returned to Pewter after their defeats.

"...um... are you sure you're okay?"

No reply.

"...do you want the other candy?"

The pen started scratching again. _ONE OF THE OTHERS MAY WANT IT._

"They had theirs."

The Pokémon gave the boy an inquisitive look. He continued. "They were giving them out in fives. All three got one, I put one aside for you, and there was one left." He took a breath. "I offered it to whoever wanted it. And they decided that you should have it."

_REALLY?_

"I think it was Caterpie that slid it next to the one for you."

Mewtwo closed his eyes for a moment, and then wrote again. _I WILL HAVE IT_

This was the pink one that he had briefly seen earlier. It was similar to the previous one in shape and texture. It dissolved just as easily in his mouth, and the flavor was slightly different from the blue kind. It was still tasty, but he couldn't decide if he liked it more than the other one. If nothing else, the sweet sensation in his mouth was preferable to his earlier impulse to find water.

_I MAY START LIKING THESE_

The boy smiled. "They might understand you better than you think." He paused, rethinking that comment. "That or they understand me when I'm talking to you."

After a short amount of consideration, Mewtwo turned to a blank page, wrote on it for a short amount of time, tore it from the notepad and handed it to the boy. He took the loose page and read it.

_PLEASE THANK EACH OF THEM FOR ME WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY_

The boy nodded, folded the paper and pocketed it. The psychic was already writing again.

_WE TURN LEFT AHEAD_

A quick check of the area revealed that they were almost out of the valley. The boy could not see a path leading to the left in the area at all. "Where is the turn?"

_A FEW MORE STEPS. _Mewtwo turned and bent down slightly so that he could stare the boy in the eyes. _I WANT YOU TO TRUST ME._

* * *

In retrospect, Mewtwo considered, he wasn't sure if he would have trusted himself.

The two were staying close together, following the curve of the mountain as they walked through a section of Viridian Forest that was so far removed from the marked path that he couldn't be certain that it was actually considered part of Viridian Forest.

He had taken this route before, yes, but he was floating at the time.

It made sense from a logical standpoint. From the perspective of the map that he had seen, it was impossible. But anyone with an open mind could see that the fastest way between Pewter City and Saffron City was to travel southeast, cutting directly across terrain that no human would ever consider traveling, until they found themselves near a road west of Celadon.

The boy had specifically pointed out, once he had realized where the Pokémon was leading him, that this area was considerably more frightening than the interior of Mount Moon. Mewtwo disagreed. Certainly, the Pokémon who lived in this area were distant enough from human-settled areas to be savage to intruders, and they were cutting into a region containing far more powerful Pokémon than the boy had ever faced. But Mewtwo could still fight, and he still considered himself tougher than anything he would meet. Most importantly, they were still walking in the sunlight. As long as the threats weren't dark Pokémon, he could handle them easily.

Mostly. The fact that he could defeat these attackers with ease didn't mean that they couldn't get any hits in. So he was sporting his fair share of injuries when the two emerged from the forest and found themselves at a path that was being used by a number of bicycle riders.

The boy, though tired, was unharmed. Mewtwo had to admit that the theory that wild Pokémon attacked other Pokémon before they attacked humans was becoming persuasive.

He was reaching for the notepad when something came flying at him from the side. On reflex, he held up his hand and caught it. It appeared to be a glass vial containing a liquid that he had seen used several times earlier.

He turned to look at the boy, who smiled. "You need that, right?"

He didn't know what to make of this. On one hand, he had frequently witnessed how important potions were for curing injuries that a Pokémon received in battle. His body had been aching, and this would help. The boy had been on top of this, and had provided one for his use. Once again, he felt grateful for the service, and once again remembered how rarely he had received things like this in his life.

On the other hand, two things bothered him. First, he may not have truly needed a potion yet. He was uncomfortably reminded of the way the boy had given his last potion to a Pidgey who had been too tired to fight anyway.

And second, the boy had thrown it to him automatically. Expecting him to catch it. Expecting him to use it. As if the act of using a potion after a series of battles was normal and intuitive for him.

As if _he was one of the boy's Pokémon._

* * *

Unfortunately, this was also the time for the boy to receive a rude awakening.

Mewtwo had been foolish to not anticipate this. Once he realized the ramifications, he was glad that he had been given the potion after all.

The opposing trainer's Doduo only needed one move. With a barrage of approximately four pecks in a row from its two heads, Squirtle collapsed. Its scratchy voice pled for mercy, but its words were only understood by Mewtwo and the Doduo responsible.

"Return!" the boy shouted, and then looked at his other Pokéballs. Caterpie would be a bad idea. He would have to fight bird vs...

A hand upon his shoulder stopped him. As the boy watched in confusion, Mewtwo stepped in.

The Doduo attacked immediately with a peck that, while not powerful, was quick enough that Mewtwo couldn't avoid or stop it. Still, for him, this was not a problem. After taking the hit, he countered with his own "swift", as the boy had called it.

This floored the Doduo in one hit. Once again, there was the screech. The cry of pain. The psychic _hated_ this part.

Once the other trainer had paid the price for the loss and the two had resumed their journey, he decided to discuss it.

_I DID NOT ENJOY THAT_

"Yeah..." the boy responded quietly. "I wondered about that. You said you didn't want to fight trainers..."

Mewtwo shook his head and wrote his conclusion. He wouldn't enjoy this, either.

_YOU MUST NOT BATTLE HERE. THESE TRAINERS ARE TOO FAR BEYOND YOUR SKILL AND STRENGTH._

The child sighed and nodded. "If you say so. What about you?"

_I AM CONSIDERING FORFEITING ALL CHALLENGES_

_This_ caught the boy off guard. "What? What about our money?"

_WE CAN AFFORD TO LOSE IT_

"But... come on! You just proved you can take them!"

Another headshake. _IT IS NOT RIGHT. I OUTCLASS THEM FAR MORE THAN THEY OUTCLASS YOU._

The boy didn't argue this point. Mewtwo almost wished he would. Not only because his words could have been interpreted as telling the boy that he was no longer needed, but also because events were precariously close to revealing that this psychic was normally more powerful than most Pokémon had any hope of becoming.

* * *

Celadon City was the second largest city in the Kanto region. Among its features were a large department store, an arcade, and the requisite Pokémon Center. There was also a gym, currently run by a girl named Erika, which specialized in plant-like Pokémon.

Mewtwo didn't even look around.

"Come on!" the boy complained. "Can't we stop for just a bit?"

The Pokémon didn't answer. He tried again. "You saw Squirtle. He's hurt! We need to take him to the Pokémon Center!"

This prompted a written response. _THERE IS A POKÉMON CENTER IN SAFFRON_

The boy grumbled. "My legs are tired. I've been walking for hours..."

_YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REST TONIGHT_

"Look! This isn't fun anymore! Why can't you..."

Mewtwo held up his hand to stop the boy and started writing quickly. At the end, he ripped the page off for effect. _THIS IS EVEN LESS FUN FOR ME. THERE ARE MURKROWS ON THIS ROAD AT NIGHT. __MURKROWS._

"Okay! You're right! Maybe there are! So what? If you can take what that Doduo did, it's not like a weak dark attack is going to kill you!"

_I WILL BE UNABLE TO FEND THEM OFF._

"Really? Since when are dark Pokémon immune to Swift?"

This argument caught the psychic completely off guard. He prepared his pen and tried to think of an answer.

He couldn't. It made sense, now that he thought about it. Darkrai had attacked him and left him without any of his psychic abilities. And, being a dark Pokémon, he was immune to such mental attacks. So why hadn't Mewtwo come to the logical conclusion that any move that he was still capable of performing would be at least partially effective against him?

It wouldn't help. Darkrai was not a Murkrow. He was considerably stronger. A well placed attack from him _would_ take Mewtwo down. And Swift, while it would damage him, would not be enough, unless he was somehow unable to counter several iterations of the attack.

The Murkrows were a minor threat. Darkrai was guaranteed death. And he had no idea where his enemy was capable of following him.

_YOUR LEGS ARE TIRED?_, Mewtwo wrote.

As the boy nodded, the Pokémon took the time to write out a short paragraph. Once he was done, he clipped the pen to the notepad and gave it directly to his traveling companion.

_PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS THREAT IS DIRER THAN WHAT I HAVE SAID. WE MUST KEEP MOVING, AND WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL SAFFRON. STILL, I SHOULD NOT IGNORE YOU._

The boy had barely gotten halfway through the text before the Pokémon grasped him with both hands and lifted him off the ground. Seconds later, he was sitting on the Pokémon's shoulders as he continued to walk to the east.

This burden was heavier than Mewtwo had expected. He was not as physically weak as he looked, but he had not done much heavy lifting in his life. At least, not the kind where he wasn't lifting multiple tons of weight at once with his mind. If he had been traveling with an adult, this might have been impossible for him. As it was, he was able to continue to make forward progress.

He hoped the boy would be ready to walk again soon.

* * *

Their money had lasted them long enough to reach Saffron with a fair share of change left over. The sun was starting to set, but it was not yet time for Mewtwo to panic. Not after he had come all this way.

Instead, he found a new reason to panic. He moved away from the town's entrance and gestured toward the notepad. Once he received it again, he explained his concerns.

_WHY IS TEAM ROCKET HERE?_

The boy looked back toward the entrance. There were a couple of men in uniforms loitering near the entrance. "Team who?"

_I CANNOT LET THEM SEE ME_

"Huh? What's up?"

Mewtwo decided to spare a few details. _THEY HAVE CAPTURED AND TORTURED ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS_

That was not a complete summary of his lengthy unhappy history with Giovanni's group, but it was all that was currently relevant. He had believed that they had abandoned this town several years prior. Then again, he couldn't see more than just those two members. Still, it was wise to be cautious.

"...oh. Yeah. That's bad. So how do we get you into town, then?"

_DO WE HAVE A DISTRACTION?_

The boy looked at the entrance again. His expression became more serious as he looked at the Pokémon again. "I know what I need to do. Do you trust me?"

Mewtwo returned the look in a confused manner. _WH_

"I can do this", the child interrupted. "You said you needed my help here. Even if those guys weren't here, there's still Sabrina, right?" As the Pokémon nodded, he started digging into his bag and continued talking. "I need to get you into the gym, and I need to do so by acting like your trainer, right?"

A few seconds later, the boy was holding an empty Pokéball.

Mewtwo's eyes widened considerably. It took him a while to start writing again. _YOU WANT M_

"Please let me do this." The boy gave him a hopeful look. "It won't look right if you walk in with me. Trainers are expected to use Pokéballs. It'll look more natural _and_ that team will never see you. I promise I'll release you when we're done. I swear."

The psychic continued to stare at him. After a short pause, he looked at the team members again.

"I've trusted you. Please trust me."

The team continued to stand guard. The sun continued to set. Sabrina was mere feet away, and perhaps Darkrai would remain outside...

Mewtwo clipped the pen to the notepad and held it out. As the boy took it, he closed his eyes, tried to force himself to stop worrying, opened his eyes and gave a reluctant nod.

The boy gave him a comforting smile in return, held out the Pokéball, and pressed a button on the front. As Mewtwo watched with worried curiosity, the ball opened, emitting a red beam of light toward his body. As it struck his body, Mewtwo felt like the light was drawing _him into itself, as his form started floating in a manner he had not managed since his abilities had been stripped from him. Finally, he found himself held inside the much larger form of the ball as it closed around him, wrapping him in total darkness. But not the kind of darkness that he had been avoiding for the past two days. This was a calming darkness, one that served less to obscure the area and more to give him a brief respite from the constant stream of visible light. He felt himself adapting to the container that held him. Oddly, it felt snug and soft to the touch, a perfect compliment to the feeling of warmth that filled the air inside the Pokéball. He was no longer aware of the events taking place outside of his container. He no longer needed to be. All that was here was comfort. __**Are you okay in there?**__, a soothing voice asked, and he realized that it was the voice of the boy who possessed the Pokéball. Possessed him. The boy was his master, and he wanted to do everything that he could to help him. Even if he had lost his abilities, he would do his best. And he knew that his master understood. His master had seen everything that he could do, and heard about the things that he couldn't, and he loved him anyway. Taking comfort in this knowledge, he lay down in a manner that allowed him to feel as much of the soft inner surface as possible, and closed his eyes. He might have sighed with pure contentment if he was capable of doing so. Moments later, he drifted into a light sleep. It had to be light, for it would not be long until his master needed him, and called him to his aid with a commanding yet compassionate order. He was unable to tell how much time was passing while he slept, but eventually the moment came. __**Come on out**__, he heard, and he awoke, and obeyed fully. The Pokéball around him opened up, and he regretted the temporary loss of his sanctuary as the red beam of light once again engulfed his form and carried him into the op_en room, where he was now looking directly at a green-haired woman and her Kadabra.

It took him almost half a minute to reorient himself and think about what had just happened. He had lost track of time, and the experience could only have been described as bizarre. He quickly came to two conclusions. First, that time may have been the happiest that he had ever felt in his entire life. Second, he would _never_ allow himself to be subjected to it again if he could avoid it.

Finally he shifted his attention to the green haired woman. She must have been Sabrina, he concluded. He had never actually seen her before, preferring to stay as far away as possible in the past. If she was a psychic, he certainly couldn't tell at this time.

The two stared at each other for a while. There was no sense of familiarity. Finally she turned to look at the boy. "Are you going to challenge me?"

Mewtwo shook his head. He was not here to fight. The boy was underqualified to deal with the Kadabra who looked at him curiously. All he wanted to do was talk to her about...

"**Yes**", the boy said. "**I challenge you.**"

What was he doing? This was not part of their agreement! The former psychic winced at the situation. The current psychic didn't notice. The Kadabra went into a fighting stance, spoon at the ready.

"**Swift attack, now!**"

He was even calling his attacks! Mewtwo mentally cursed to himself. He was going to write some very angry words to the boy later. Right after he called off this...

Mewtwo raised his arm and charged his power, sending a barrage of stars at the Kadabra. They struck true, and the gym leader's first Pokémon had already been rendered unconscious. There had been a slight cry of pain, but nothing as cringe-inducing as the earlier Pokémon he had...

...why had he attacked?

Sabrina nodded. "Not a bad start at all. A bit too much focus on brute force, maybe." She recalled Kadabra and sent out a Venomoth. It flapped its wings a few times to move itself higher in the air, reacted slightly to what might have been unsaid words from its trainer, and sent out a beam of psychic energy at Mewtwo.

"**Dodge!**" the boy shouted. And Mewtwo did.

He dodged.

Like the boy said.

Because the boy said to dodge.

And he obeyed.

Automatically.

_What was happening to him?_

His dodge was ineffective. The beam struck him directly. Such a blow might have confused a less-prepared Pokémon; Mewtwo was unaffected. He merely absorbed the minor injury.

The girl nodded. "Your Pokémon is strong against psychic attacks. A good choice."

Mewtwo immediately turned to face the boy with a pleading expression on his face. Tell her, he silently pleaded in lieu of access to telepathy or writing utensils. Tell her what he was, and why he was here. Call off the fight _now._

"**Another swift attack.**"

The boy's voice sounded different, the former psychic considered. It had far more power behind it. Not force, though. Just a commanding presence. And whatever it said, he would obey.

Mewtwo sent out the next wave of stars as he cursed himself for his naivety. The Pokéball had somehow brainwashed him. He was a mere slave to the boy, a boy who fancied himself his trainer, even though he had told him that he would not serve him in that manner. And now... he was completely at the boy's beck and call.

The Venomoth also fell, and Sabrina sent it back into its Pokéball. She was starting to look nervous. Indeed, her next choice was her strongest representative: an Alakazam. Once again, Mewtwo wished that he could escape this fate before yet another Pokémon...

He was struck by a mental suggestion from his opponent. Despite his best efforts, it had made it through his defenses. And he knew what it would do. He had known how to do this move since he was first created. Then again, he had unlearned it once he realized that he had more efficient methods of preventing the enemy from attacking.

And now he was a victim of his own Disable. If he recalled the effects of this attack correctly...

_...he was no longer capable of performing Swift._

He looked at the boy in fear. The boy looked equally uncertain. What would they do, now that Mewtwo had lost his only remaining attack?

Give up, Mewtwo fervently hoped.

"**Do whatever you can**", the boy ordered. And Mewtwo did the only thing that came to mind. He dashed at the Alakazam and wrestled it to the ground.

Sabrina looked at the boy in disbelief. "You're using _Struggle_?" she said in an incredulous voice. "_Already? _That can only happen if Swift is his only move!"

The boy couldn't hide the guilty expression on his face.

Alakazam attempted to repel Mewtwo using telekinesis. It wasn't strong enough. The Pokémon continued his flurry of random close-range attacks and grapples that exerted him almost as much as it hurt his opponent. On paper, this might have sounded like a good idea. After all, Mewtwo retained much of his strength even after he lost his abilities, and a psychic as physically flimsy as Alakazam didn't have nearly as much

_**SNAP.**_

The boy heard the sound clearly. So did Sabrina. Mewtwo was in the best position to witness it, as he was the one gripping his opponent so tightly that he had actually felt his spine break in half under the massive amount of uncontrolled force.

Alakazam didn't hear it. He was unconscious long before Mewtwo stepped back in shock, releasing his opponent's body to collapse unceremoniously on the gym floor.

Sabrina rushed to its side immediately. She checked its prone form, and then looked upward at the ceiling. Seconds later, another girl ran into the room.

"Get me a nurse from the Pokémon Center, fast!" Sabrina was starting to sound distraught. "We have an emergency here!" She turned to face the boy. "What did you do? Just how strong is that Pokémon, anyway?"

The boy hesitated before answering in a meek voice... one that didn't even have the tone of command that Mewtwo had involuntarily discovered in his words. "I... I'm sorry... I wanted to battle... I wanted to be his trainer..." He looked down at the floor. "I didn't want to lie to a gym leader..."

She shook her head. "What are you talking about? Your Pokémon..."

Mewtwo continued to stare at his hands, and then at the unconscious psychic, unable to bring himself to move away. "Wh... what have I done?" He slowly turned to face the boy. "Why did you..."

The boy stared at him in surprise. "...you... I thought you said you couldn't..."

The Pokémon looked at him in confusion for a few seconds, trying to make some sense of what he had said.

...what he had said? Mewtwo replayed the past few seconds back in his mind. He had broken something in the Pokémon, and he dropped it, and he had stared in shock, and he had been muttering to himself...

...muttering to himself... would be an action taken by someone... with a voice...

Mewtwo snapped out of his thoughts immediately. "Please! Tell her what's going on! Tell her I didn't mean to hurt Alakazam! If you can hear me..."

The boy looked at him in confusion. "Mew?"

Sabrina's eyes had widened considerably. "...you... Mew... the legendary..."

Mewtwo blinked. "Are you even listening to th..."

He stopped. Something was very wrong here. He still did not have his psychic abilities, and yet he was trying to converse with the two trainers. He couldn't speak their language. Few Pokémon could, and he had only done so in the past using his telepathy. They couldn't understand what he was saying. All they heard was...

He sounded it out. One word at a time. And he listened to himself speak this time.

"...the words..."

_...mew mew..._

"...that I..."

_...mew mew..._

"...am..."

_...mew..._

"...saying?"

_...mew?_

A series of words, rendered in a voice that he had never known he had. A high-pitched voice, slightly distorted by the amount of genetic splicing that had gone into his creation, but otherwise identical to...

...a legendary cat-like Pokémon, floating dreamily across the world, acting playful to anyone who saw it, even though those who saw it were few and far between...

...the Pokémon whose DNA was recovered and used by a team of scientists in an effort to invent the most powerful Pokémon in existence...

...a Pokémon against whom he had once waged a deadly war, catching many trainers and Pokémon in the onslaught, simply to prove that he was more than a mere imperfect facsimile of it...

...he was... his voice was... identical...

"Why is Mew here?" Sabrina asked in a shocked voice. "Why would she break Alakazam? Why is this happening?"

The boy was still trying to wrap his mind around what he was hearing. "Mew... a psychic Pokémon... legendary... _she_?"

In a flash, Mewtwo bolted for the door.

He dashed out of the gym and into the night, leaving the two trainers and the rest of the Pokémon behind. He ran down the darkened streets, almost colliding directly with a red-headed nurse from the Pokémon Center, and continued running. Less than a minute later, the city of Saffron was behind him, yet he didn't stop. He kept moving. He didn't want to be anywhere close to the city. Or the boy. Or Sabrina. Or Alakazam. Or himself. Or...

...he was running into the wilderness, and it was dark outside.

**Enjoying your run, psychic?**

He froze. The scarved dark Pokémon was once again floating in front of him. His single blue eye was filled with malice, and one of his hands was already charging a void of dark energy. **I'm glad you finally came outside to play with me.**

Mewtwo was too paralyzed by fear to dodge. Darkrai's void struck him, and all he knew was sleep.


	3. Day Three

The sun shone brightly in the blue skies overlooking the rolling green hills of Kanto. In the distance, two Mews were frolicking. While their indescribably fine pink fur, long tails and bright blue eyes made them look identical, there was at least one key difference between them.

One pounced upon the other, and the two went tumbling down the hill, mewing happily, until they came to a stop at the bottom. After a short pause to enjoy the feeling of grass against their backs, both rose.

Then the second looked at the first, and its eyes lit up. The first started floating into the air slowly, its body language suggesting that it had been levitated like this before. Then the second leapt in a gravity-defying manner toward the first, and they tumbled their way back _up_ the hill, landing on the grass again where they had started. This time, they did not get up; they preferred to nuzzle against each other, appreciating the moment as much as possible.

"Your talent is wasted."

Both Mews looked up suddenly. There was a man in a sincere-looking orange suit standing on a nearby hill, looking at them. Specifically, the second one. "You know you are better than him", he chided, gesturing toward the first. "He doesn't deserve you. Come with me and I will show you your true potential."

The two Mews stared at him for a moment. Then they looked at each other. They had lived together their whole lives, and had always gotten along. Surely this man would be unable to separate them. No one could tear their lives apart...

The second Mew gave the first an uneasy look. Then, with some hesitation, he levitated himself and floated toward the human.

_...Giovanni..._

"An excellent choice", the man said, and gestured in the direction of the psychic Mew. Suddenly the Pokémon looked toward the sky with an expression of pain, and his body began twisting and deforming in unusual ways. His pink body slowly faded in color until it was almost indistinguishable from white, and his body became more humanoid. He also slowly became physically larger, to the point that he was half a head taller than the human once the transformation was complete.

Mewtwo was born.

_...no. It was not like this. There were labs... and clones... I never even met Mew... this story is completely false!_

"Does it matter?" the human asked. "The outcome was the same. You could have been simple and happy. Instead, you met me, and you grew powerful. With my help, you have become a veritable _god. _You should thank me."

_No. You were using me. I will never regret leaving you._

"But do you regret joining me?"

_What?_

"Look around you."

He did, and he saw that he was now towering over the entire landscape. Giovanni stood on what was now a small mound next to his foot. The slightest motion would crush him. The idea had some appeal.

And, next to his other foot, the small form of the Mew, looking straight up at him with sad eyes. He understood what it was trying to say with its expression. Why did you abandon me? Why did you become what you are?

"Everyone is powerless compared to you. You are free to act as you please, and you will never have to answer for it."

_...no._ Mewtwo levitated the tiny Giovanni until he was holding him in one hand. _I may be tempted, but I will not give in. I refuse to allow my existence to be a burden on anyone else. Not anymore. Begone._

And in an instant, Giovanni was gone. But the damage had still been done. Mewtwo could never live a normal life again. His only choices were to abuse his power... or to do everything he could to make sure he wouldn't.

A shadow was suddenly cast over the hills, blocking out the sun. The Mewtwo turned around to find an even more powerful entity lurking over him. The dark one. The one responsible for this nightmare.

**And even if you chose to use that power, you would still be no match for me.**

With a single shadowy hand, he seized the Mewtwo. **You are not worth my time. As far as I am concerned, you can cease to exist.**

_But I __**am**__ worth your time. If I was not, you would not continue to follow me._

"Let him go!"

The voice was small and weak, and yet everyone heard it. The small Mew, who had been almost completely forgotten during this power struggle, tugged ineffectually at Darkrai's shadowy form. "Even if he abandoned me, he is still my friend! I will not allow you to take him away from me!"

Mewtwo stared downward at his old friend, his eyes beginning to tear up. After everything that had happened... even though he had betrayed him, even though he no longer registered as even a small blip against his power... he would not let go.

**Don't make me laugh. If he can't defeat me, what makes you think you can?**

Mew continued to pull. "I will find a way. I refuse to give up."

**You cannot even understand the simple truth. **Darkrai's single eye lit up. **It is **_**because**_** he abandoned you that you have no chance to stop me!**

Mewtwo watched these events in horror. Could Mew save him from Darkrai? Could he muster up enough willpower to escape from his clutches? Was there some way he could...

...this wasn't right, either. Darkrai was holding the Mewtwo tightly, and the Mewtwo was indeed helpless. But he himself was not, despite all appearances.

He slowly started to understand. Right now, he wasn't the Mewtwo in this story.

He was the Mew...

* * *

**Day Three**

* * *

Mewtwo awoke to find himself in an unfamiliar place. A... town. He was unable to identify it on sight alone. Especially not in this darkness. The sun had not yet begun to rise.

**How disappointing**, a voice said. **I was hoping to see how the dream ended.**

Mewtwo turned his head to the side to see Darkrai continuing to float over his body, looming over him. In an instant, he had scrambled to his hands and knees, backing away from his malefactor. "Where are we? What have you done with me?"

Darkrai continued to stare at him, features unmoving. Then his eye closed slightly, and his body began to shake slightly. To Mewtwo, it almost looked like he was... trying not to laugh?

**Is **_**that**_** what your voice sounds like? **Another pause, which may have corresponded to an attempt to regain his composure. **I did not expect that at all!**

Mewtwo grumbled to himself. The evidence was impossible to deny. This was his voice. Even after all of the experiments, genetic splicing, physical and mental enhancement, that aspect had remained unchanged.

His voice sounded like Mew. His vocabulary sounded like Mew. As much as he resented it, he had to accept the truth. Despite all the differences, he _was_ a clone of Mew.

...why did this bother him so much? Didn't he get over this years ago?

Darkrai was sounding calm again. **I should not be surprised. You used your psychic ability as a cover, hiding every hint of weakness away from the world and yourself. **A glint from his eye. **Much like the rest of your life.**

Mewtwo shook his head angrily. "What do _you_ know about my life? If you believe that my creation was _anything_ like that dream of yours..."

_**My**_** dream? I did nothing to interfere with your nightmare. **He was trying to sound sincere. The effort proved useless when combined with his raspy voice. **I should have taken notes. I still have no idea who that human was.**

"A fool", he replied dismissively. "But if you left my dream alone, then..."

**I don't care what kind of subconscious logic goes on in that head of yours**, the dark Pokémon interrupted. **I only brought you here to reveal the truth.**

The psychic glared. "What would you, a creator of dark fantasies, know about truth?"

**Dreams are riddled with falsehoods. I will admit that. **Darkrai floated slightly closer for emphasis. **But you do not dream now. What you have witnessed is the truth. How have you enjoyed the last few days?**

Mewtwo didn't answer. This question wasn't worth it. After all of the torture that he had gone through, he wasn't about to give Darkrai the satisfaction of hearing his complaints.

**Not talking to me? Very well. I will answer for you. Everything you have gone through? That is your life. The weak, defenseless creature that cowers before me? That is **_**you.**_ He looked up at the moon. **It is a shame that your mental barriers needed to be removed before you could see this.**

"Mental barriers?" He stood up. "You stole my abilities!"

_**Blocked**_, the reply came. **I am not you. I cannot affect your memory. You still have every skill you have learned. You merely cannot use them at this time.** His blue eye shifted to the side slightly. **I strongly suspect that the effect is two-way, although I haven't observed the full effects before now. Perhaps you will let me know if you meet a psychic that can reach your mind?**

Mewtwo fumed. So not even Sabrina could help him. This trip had been a waste of time and energy. "Why do you care so much? Why are you doing this?"

**You asked that question before.** He paused briefly. **Because I can.**

As Mewtwo clenched his fists, he continued. **You are entirely too easy to anger. It takes the fun out of it. **He turned and started to float away. **I have done what I wanted to do. I see no need to take up any more of your time. The rest is up to you.**

"What is that supposed to mean? Up to me?"

Darkrai turned to face the former psychic again. **Do I need to make myself clearer? I have blocked your abilities, and I am about to depart, and I am leaving you with a simple question. **_**What are you going to do about it?**_

Mewtwo wished he had an answer. All he knew is that, if Darkrai left, it was likely that he would never recover from this incident.

"Is there something that you _want _me to do?"

**I don't actually care. I just want you to do **_**something**_**. It's no fun when you act depressed the whole time. **Darkrai shook his head. **There is no shame in being a non-psychic for the rest of your life.**

"No. I will not give up. I will not let you win like that. I want my psychic abilities unblocked. _Now._"

**Or what? Are you going to complain about it? Cry for help to the heavens?** Darkrai was sounding flippant. **That is not a bad idea at all! Go ahead and try it! If you ask nicely enough, someone just might save you from this nightmare! **He looked to the side briefly. **She usually does...**

Mewtwo shook his head. "No. This is between you and me. I want you to return what you have taken from me."

The dark Pokémon blinked. **After all this, you still have some fight left in you. Does that make you brave or desperate? Or are you unwilling to recover from your addiction?**

"Name a price."

**A price? What could you possibly offer me? **He paused for a bit. **I have a better idea. We will play a game.**

"What stunt are you trying to..."

**Be more considerate. You should be thankful that I am giving you a chance at all. **Darkrai floated toward the psychic again. **It is simple enough. Fight me. Win, and I'll let you return to your happy world of illusions. Lose, and... I'll think of something entertaining to do to you later.**

Mewtwo shook his head. "I should have guessed. You would not challenge me if I had any chance of winning..."

Darkrai glared at him. **It is a fight, or nothing.** He paused for a moment. **I will even give you a handicap. I will not use any of those little dark attacks that you've been complaining about all this time. Will that make you happy?**

Mewtwo didn't like this. Even in this situation, he felt like he still had no chance of winning. Perhaps if he had...

...this was no time to question himself. If he ever wanted to return to normal, this was his chance.

"Very well", he said. "I will fight you. Are you ready?"

**I am. **Darkrai shook his head. **You, however, are not. Are you being **_**intentionally **_**suicidal?**

He turned his back on the former psychic and looked up at the sky. **There is one week until the full moon. You may challenge me at any time until then. But you must come at night, and you must come here.**

"Here?" Mewtwo looked around. He was resting in front of a tower in the middle of a town. From the tower, he felt an... unusual presence. He knew the feeling immediately.

Ghosts. There were ghosts here. The boy had done research on this subject earlier...

"...Pokémon Tower. You brought me to Lavender."

**Excellent. It seems you can reason without your psychic abilities. You deserve a reward. **He turned to face Mewtwo. **I will not pursue you. I believe you will feel more comfortable that way.**

Yes, the psychic considered. He would. Much more comfortable. Of course, this meant that he had to travel for a fair distance to get anywhere where he wanted to be.

Did he even want to be anywhere? He didn't want to return to Saffron. Not after everything that happened there last night. But he had no other leads, and...

...he hurt Sabrina's Alakazam. He didn't want to do it, but it happened. And the last thing he wanted was for her to think that he did it on purpose. He would have to explain himself. Somehow. If she would even listen...

**One more thing. **Darkrai waved his arm in front of Mewtwo's face. **Fifth floor. You will have to climb the tower yourself, and you will not be protected. If you think you have a chance against me, surely you can handle a few ghosts, no?**

Mewtwo nodded slightly.

**Very good. Now, if you'll excuse me, the sun is about to rise. **He turned his back again and floated toward the tower. **I would prefer that you have at least a small amount of confidence when I see you again. If this is merely a desperate attempt to reclaim what you have lost, **_**don't even bother returning.**_** Take care.**

Mewtwo started to follow him toward the tower. "I have had enough of your mockery! If I find out that this is some kind of trick..."

He was interrupted as Darkrai turned toward Mewtwo and threw a ball of energy at him. He noticed quickly and dove out of the way just in time. The dark Pokémon spoke again, with a considerably more frightening voice than usual. **Do not take this lightly, psychic. You know that I would not have given you this chance if I did not think it was worth my time.** A short pause, as his voice returned to its usual level. **I think you would prefer me jovial, correct?**

"As though dark spells have ever brought joy..." Mewtwo muttered to himself.

**That was a shadow ball. Keep that in mind. If you do not leave now, there will be more of them.**

"Damn bully..." he grumbled as he left the town and headed to the west. Just behind him, the sun was beginning to rise, promising sufficient light to make it back to Saffron easily.

* * *

There was no official rule against wild Pokémon fleeing from battle when a trainer tried to chase it down. Mewtwo was thankful for that. He didn't have to hurt anyone that way.

It had taken him a couple of hours, but he had made it back to Saffron. Now that it was properly lit again, he could try to figure out all the things he wanted to do while he was there.

Apologize to Sabrina? Definitely. Figure out how to defeat a dark Pokémon? He didn't have much of a chance if he didn't catch up on his research. Find the boy again?

...why bother? After what he did last night, he never wanted to see the kid again. He had made it perfectly clear multiple times that he didn't want to battle. And yet the boy had forced him to obey orders, simply to fulfill his deep desire to train him. And thanks to his efforts, an innocent Alakazam was...

...how bad was it? He needed to find Sabrina fast.

The gym was easy to locate. He knocked on the door rapidly.

"Go away", an unfamiliar female voice said. "Only trainers are perm..." She cut herself off. After a lengthy pause, she spoke again. "Come in, sir. Sabrina wants to meet with you."

* * *

Mewtwo was led along unfamiliar corridors of the gym until he reached a doorway. The girl who had shown him inside gestured to the door and then left in a hurry. Before he could react, the doorknob turned and the door opened to what appeared to be either a bedroom or a study decorated in a faded red color scheme. As he entered, the door closed behind him.

"We meet again, Mr. Mew."

It took him a few seconds of examining the room before he figured out where Sabrina was. Oddly enough, she was still in bed. He decided to start with the most important part. "I wish to apol..."

"Hold that thought", she said. Ten seconds later, a Kadabra entered the room. Mewtwo wasn't sure if this was the same one he had battled the previous evening. "In case you didn't know, I can't understand a word you say. Please address Kadabra, and keep your sentences short."

"Please forgive her", the Kadabra said. "She was worried about Alakazam all night. She had trouble sleeping."

"I see", Mewtwo said, having realized that he was capable of holding complete conversations with Pokémon again. "She can't read my mind, can she?"

The room was silent for a couple of seconds. Then he heard Sabrina's voice. "No. I can't pick up anything. I never knew a dark Pokémon could do such a thing."

He blinked several times. "How did you know about that?"

Another few seconds passed. Mewtwo watched the Kadabra, and came to the conclusion that it was listening to his words and relaying them to his mistress via telepathy.

"Your friend told me", she said.

"He's not my friend."

A short pause, punctuated by her sitting up and looking at him. "Is that true? I know he's not your trainer, but I got the distinct impression that the two of you were getting along."

Mewtwo shook his head. "He betrayed me. He forced me to hurt your Pokémon."

"He said something interesting before you left yesterday. He said he didn't want to lie to me. You know what he's talking about, right?"

He nodded. "I asked him to escort me to meet with you."

Another pause. "He told me he was afraid that he would get into trouble if he brought a Pokémon and it turned out that he wasn't its trainer." She took a deep breath. "Of course, you know how much good that did him... and Alakazam."

"You have it wrong! Alakazam got hurt _because_ I let him be my trainer!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I did not want to fight. But he gave the order, and I could not resist."

She thought for a moment. "You have fought before, correct?" Mewtwo nodded. "And you were a psychic?" Another nod. "How frequently do you use physical attacks?"

This caught him off guard. "I... never have. Why?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say your lack of practice with physical moves like Struggle meant you couldn't control your strength when you used the move."

He frowned. It was a likely explanation.

After thinking briefly, she stood and walked across the room to a desk. Its drawer opened automatically, and a small, yellow circular object floated out. "Have you seen one of these before?"

Mewtwo hadn't. He shook his head.

"I'm a gym leader, I'm sure you know. This is one of the badges I give to trainers who defeat me in battle." She paused to think about her next words. "They have additional abilities. This one, in particular, tends to command the respect of any Pokémon up to a certain level of skill." The badge dropped back into the drawer, which closed after it. "He didn't have any of these badges when you met him, did he?"

He tried to recall. While he hadn't been paying that much attention to his outfit, he did remember him talking about preparing for his first gym battle. It would be safe to conclude that he had never had the chance to win one.

"No. He did not."

"My math may be off", she admitted, "but I'm fairly sure that you are more powerful than the limits of most of these badges. And he didn't have one." She looked at him directly. "You should have been able to ignore his orders."

Mewtwo looked at her in shock. "You cannot be serious! I wanted him to stop!"

She looked at Kadabra. "I'm wondering if maybe, despite your disinterest in battling, there might have been a part of you that _wanted_ to obey his..."

"_Stop that!"_ His voice was becoming distraught. "I am not like that! I would _never_ deliberately kill your Pokémon! Please believe me!"

She looked at him oddly. "He's not dead. However, I worry that he will never recover, and I think you should take at least some responsibi..."

She was interrupted by the sound of Mewtwo crouching to the floor, pounding it with his fist as tears filled his eyes. "Please... stop... I hurt him... all my fault... please forgive me..." By itself, it would have been a particularly unusual sight. However, combined with the fact that his voice largely resembled that of a kitten, it could easily have been described as heartbreaking.

Sabrina tried to regain control of the situation. "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. Honestly, I believe you. I don't think you wanted to hurt him. It's over now. Please... calm down."

After a few seconds, he grew quiet, though he still did not stand. "...I... almost killed him... I am..."

Kadabra was starting to look depressed as he tried to express Mewtwo's feelings. Sabrina noticed. "How about this? You go to the Pokémon Center later and find Alakazam and tell _him_ how you feel about this, and... I'll forgive you. Okay?"

Mewtwo nodded silently. A few seconds later, he stood up again. His expression was still morose.

"...would you like a Pokéblock?" she offered.

"...a what?"

"It's a type of candy often eaten by contest entrants. You might enjoy it. It tastes like fruit."

Mewtwo nodded slowly. "I... have eaten them before. I never knew the name. I would like one, please."

This one was green and bitter to the tongue, yet he had no problem enjoying it. As he did so, Sabrina sat down at the desk. "If you're feeling better now, I'd like to move on. Your friend said you came here looking for my help. Please elaborate."

He licked the last bits of the candy from the inside of his mouth, and then frowned and shook his head. "I was mistaken. I no longer believe that you can help me."

Once she received the relayed message, her expression flickered slightly. "You came all this way to see me. Are you sure?"

"I thought I had lost or forgotten my abilities. If they are merely blocked, then there is little you can do to help."

"By a dark Pokémon, correct?" The former psychic nodded. "I heard about that as well. You have had some... anxieties about dark Pok..."

Mewtwo held up his hand to interrupt. "Did he tell you my life story?" he asked angrily.

She shrugged. "Parts of it. I read his mind for the rest." Her face turned serious. "I train psychic Pokémon. I have seen how they react to dark Pokémon, and how difficult it is for them to deal with such a threat. I would like to try to help you."

He sighed. "I would like to solve this myself." He took a breath. "However, I may require some advice. I need to come up with a way to defeat him."

She thought for a moment. "What are you currently able to do?"

He tilted his head downward slightly. "Not much. My focus has always been on psychic abilities. Aside from... 'swift', I have not had any success."

"He said the same thing. It looked as though your only move was Swift."

"I do not believe it will be sufficient to defeat him. Perhaps if..."

He looked up suddenly. Something about this was bothering him. He had noticed it earlier, but he had been distracted before he could ask about it.

The boy had told his Pidgey to create a tornado. He had said that the Pidgey had become stronger, and was now capable of performing an additional move. Mewtwo had discovered new talents in a similar manner before, so that part didn't surprise him. The real question was...

"How did he know?"

She blinked. "Hmm?"

"How could he be certain that I had no other abilities? How did he figure out that his Pidgey learned something new?"

Sabrina's eyes widened as she heard this. "Excuse me, but have you _ever had a trainer in your life?_"

He answered honestly. "Yes."

"Trainers always know what their Pokémon can do. They wouldn't be good trainers if they didn't. I believe that's one of the key functions of a Pokéball."

"I have never been in a Pokéball until yesterday."

She shook her head. "Your trainer was incompetent. It really is better for..."

In a flash, he was leaning across the desk, staring at her directly. "That was _not_ incompetent! Not putting me in a Pokéball was the _only_ thing Giovanni did right!"

"Giovanni? The former Viridian gym leader? _He_ trained you?"

Mewtwo pounded his fist on the desk. "He has nothing to do with this! The point is that I do not like the idea of being brainwashed! Every bad moment in my life has been the result of people trying to control Pokémon!" He turned for the door. "I should have never come here."

Sabrina looked offended. "Pokémon training has _nothing_ to do with brainwashing!"

"Really? Have you ever been in a Pokéball in your life?" He turned to glare at her. "I will describe it for you. It is nothing more than a state of complacent euphoria, designed to make its inhabitant both unwilling to leave and completely dependent on his trainer. This way, he feels an obligation to follow orders. The trainer is nothing more than a slave driver, forcing the Pokémon to..."

"_No. _She _isn't._"

That wasn't Sabrina, he realized. He turned to look at the Kadabra, who had an angry look on his face. "Sabrina cares about me! She supports me when I win, and comforts me when I lose. If I have any weaknesses, she helps me correct them. Any strengths, she helps me realize." He stood up, and his expression softened. "I might still be an Abra today if not for her."

Mewtwo was unimpressed. "And you never once asked yourself why she wanted you to fight in the first place?"

"Battle experience made me a better psychic. That's all there is to it."

"But we should not need to fight to improve!"

The Kadabra gave him a confused look. "Why do you keep talking about battles as though you think they want us to get hurt? It's clear to me that they don't want us to suffer. Why do you think they built the centers and let us stay in them? Why bother making Pokéballs comfortable if they're only there to assert authority? Why are there entire businesses devoted to selling potions and healing items?

"And most of all, if you think battling is so bad, why would _wild Pokémon _ever want to battle?"

Mewtwo stared at the less experienced psychic for a while. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head. "You have not seen the battles I have witnessed. I have seen Pokémon scream for mercy. I have seen Pokémon get left for dead." He took a deep breath and looked at Sabrina. "And I have seen what I did to Alakazam."

Sabrina was watching the conversation, but there was no indication that she understood any of it.

"Alakazam was an accident", the other Pokémon responded immediately. "You said it was. I can't hate you for that... you didn't hurt me too badly yesterday, either. Honestly, I _wish_ I was as strong as you are."

"No one should ever envy me."

Kadabra walked up to him. "You had some bad experiences. I understand that. But you shouldn't dismiss battling entirely. It really is good for us." He paused. "It sounds like you really want to defeat this dark Pokémon. Sabrina can help you."

Despite his thoughts on the matter, Mewtwo had to conclude that the other Pokémon was not lying to him, and that his opinions didn't sound like those of a Pokémon who had been held against his will. Still, he shook his head. "I should not need help. I managed more than well enough on my own before this happened."

"Please. I know what I'm talking about." He hesitated. "Do you want another candy?"

Mewtwo looked at him suspiciously. "Are these things addictive?"

"Not particularly", the yellow creature said as he levitated a yellow piece. "Enjoyable, though. I prefer the yellow ones. They help me get tougher and I really like the sour flavor."

Mewtwo took the candy. "Who makes these?"

"I can't remember the name. They have a shop here in town, though."

"Silph", Sabrina interjected. "It's easy to find their headquarters. Just look for the biggest building in town."

"I asked her", Kadabra admitted.

She continued. "If you can buy a product and it's related to Pokémon, they probably made it. Pokéballs, healing items, TMs... I hear they've even worked on manmade Pokémon."

Manmade? Mewtwo almost choked on the candy. "What? Is Giovanni or Team Rocket involved?"

"No. There was a takeover attempt a few years back. It fell through."

He exhaled in relief. He didn't particularly want to support Giovanni's efforts, whatever they were...

The Kadabra took over the conversation again. "We owe a lot to human ingenuity. Whenever we are healed or are able to live in comfort or can learn new moves, Silph is largely responsible."

Mewtwo thought about this for a while as he continued to suck on the candy. Moments later, he wished he hadn't.

"...this tastes terrible." He looked at the Kadabra. "Sorry."

"It's okay. We have different tastes. I can't stand the sweet kind, myself."

Mewtwo nodded. Before he could continue, he remembered something from earlier. "Learn new moves?"

Kadabra had obtained a candy of his own. "Yes. They make TMs."

"What's a TM?"

The yellow Pokémon paused. "Now that you mention it, I don't know that much about them. I will ask."

A few seconds later, Sabrina spoke again. "It stands for Technical Machine. It's useful for battle strategy, as it allows Pokémon to gain new abilities that they don't learn normally." She smiled. "It might be the solution to your problem."

Mewtwo had to agree with that assessment. "How does it work?"

After the requisite pause for mental contact, she sighed. "Well, unfortunately for you, it requires a trainer to place a Pokéball into the device to transfer the information."

He grumbled. "I would like to hold a conversation for five minutes without someone telling me to get a trainer."

She didn't react to that comment. "Let me give you an example. You're fighting a dark Pokémon. Your best options are insect-related moves and brawling techniques. You find a move of that type that is compatible, you learn it, and that way you have an effective option to use against such an opponent."

"...that _is_ impressive." He thought a little more. "What about ghosts?"

"You expect to fight ghosts?" she asked. He nodded. "It's a good thing you asked. I can assure you that your Swift can't even scratch them." She thought. "Psychics used to have an advantage against them. Not anymore. Nowadays, you need a dark move or... another ghost move. They're weak against their own medicine."

Mewtwo nodded. "How do you remember all of this?" he asked.

"You have to study to become a gym leader", she admitted. "Anyway, fighting and bug moves are easy to come by. Unfortunately, I don't know about any dark TMs... you'd have to go with the ghost move idea. The only damaging one that you can get in TM form is the shadow ball, unless it turns out that you can't use it."

Mewtwo reacted in surprise. "_Shadow ball_? It's a _ghost _move?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure only ghost Pokémon can learn it naturally. Still, thanks to TMs, it has become available to a wider variety of Pokémon. You can see why we..."

Mewtwo was no longer paying attention. He had just put the evidence together.

Darkrai was responsible for this whole situation, stripping Mewtwo of his psychic abilities and leaving him to fend for himself. When he finally opted to speak at length to Mewtwo, he proposed a battle. Yet he didn't want to fight him immediately, even though it would have been an easy win. And in the process, he had repeatedly derided Mewtwo's abilities.

And now he was discovering that there was a way to gain new abilities. Ones to replace the ones he had lost... ones that would allow him to stand a chance in battle...

...an option that would require him to get a trainer...

...Darkrai had used a move that he could not have possibly known naturally...

...he had also gone out of his way to act as though he had no motive for his actions...

Mewtwo looked up immediately. "Who trains Darkrai?"

Both Sabrina and the Kadabra stared at him blankly. Sabrina spoke. "What's a Darkrai?"

Mewtwo's expression became angry. "This was a waste of my time after all. I will not trouble you any longer."

"Is something wrong?"

He turned and glared at Sabrina. "Are you absolutely sure that you have never seen a dark Pokémon do this to a psychic before? Or are you lying to me?"

Kadabra didn't even relay the message. "She is not a liar."

"The dark Pokémon came after me for no apparent reason, attacking me in a manner that she says has never been used before, solely to force me into a situation where my only hope is to get a trainer." He shook his head in disgust. "And it just so happens that _he has a trainer as well._ No wild Pokémon who is not a ghost can use a shadow ball, correct?

"In short, this whole plan was the work of a human. Why? There is only one reasonable answer. He wants me to allow myself to be captured by a human. From there, it just takes a well-timed trade or two and a removal of whatever is blocking my abilities, and this human will have absolute control of my full power."

He stood and turned toward the door. "I will not fall for it. Even if you know nothing of this scheme, you are being used as an unwitting pawn. This is not going to happen. I will not allow myself to be trained."

Kadabra stared in shock. "That's horrible! What kind of trainer..."

"Every trainer I have ever had."

Without any further explanation, he left the building.

* * *

Even in the worst of moods, he was capable of keeping a promise.

He entered the Pokémon Center casually, almost reacting in surprise at how no one was trying to stop him from entering. One of the nurses at the front desk was quick to spot him though. "Are you in need of medical attention?"

There was a pen at the desk. He smiled.

* * *

Less than two minutes later, he was in a room with multiple beds, each holding an injured Pokémon. Only a few were vacant. He followed the directions he had been given and found himself looking at an unconscious Alakazam.

Mewtwo tried his hardest to keep himself calm. "I do not know if you can hear me." He took a breath. "I wish I could communicate with you telepathically. It would have made this much easier."

Another breath. "This is my fault. I should have either practiced more control, or I should not have allowed myself to be in a position to attack you in the first place. I did not wish to injure you. I hope you can forgive me. If you recover... I really wish I could do something to help you. _Anything_. But I worry that even a healing move would not have been enough..."

He stopped. He was close to becoming distraught again, and the Alakazam wasn't reacting. It would be better to move on, and figure out what else he could possibly do.

He couldn't keep his battle with Darkrai. Not after everything he had figured out. But if he didn't battle him, he no longer had any hope of winning his life back.

Maybe this was the time to reinvent himself as a non-psychic Pokémon after all. It would be difficult, but he did not have much choice in the matter. Unfortunately, there weren't any other Pokémon of his type with whom to interact. Maybe if he could find Mew...

...was Darkrai hinting that he should call for help? He tried to remember his words.

_**Go ahead and try it! If you ask nicely enough, someone just might save you from this nightmare! She usually does...**_

Darkrai was also a legendary Pokémon, wasn't he? He was in a human's possession... it was entirely possible that he was in an even worse situation. If he tried, he could think of his words as a plea for his freedom, sufficiently disguised that no one would catch on. It even sounded like he had someone specific in mind...

"...is that you?"

A useless question, Mewtwo considered. He looked for the speaker. It was...

A Caterpie. It looked badly injured, too. On the next bed, the sleeping Pidgey looked like it was slowly recovering. He couldn't recognize them on sight, but it had to be them.

"What happened?" he asked quickly, kneeling down next to the Caterpie's bed. "Where is your trainer? Where is Squirtle?"

"...Tim left with Squirtle... after he dropped us off. We couldn't save him..."

"What? Tell me what happened!"

"Tim heard you had gone east... we tried to follow you. There was a trainer there... we never stood a chance. He had to drop us off here... he just picked up Squirtle... he's sounding worse every minute... if only I had been stronger..."

Mewtwo shook his head. "What was he thinking? I told him not to battle here! He is no match for these trainers!"

The Caterpie blinked a few times. "But... you left without him... he can't just stay here forever... can he?"

"I..."

He winced. He had forgotten about that. If the boy was unable to fight in this area, there was no conceivable way that he could leave town without leaving all of his Pokémon behind. The only reason he had made it this far was because he had an escort. And...

...he was the escort, and he had left him here. Without even explaining anything. And he had gone so far as to think about abandoning him entirely, after that stunt at the gym.

The boy was completely helpless. He didn't have enough money to last long. And he didn't even know where he was expected to go next, especially if he wanted to head back to Pewter...

...Tim?

"His name is Tim?"

"Of course. You didn't know?"

No. Of course not. The two had never exchanged names at any point. Tim never heard Mewtwo's name, because Mewtwo had made a deliberate attempt to hide as much information about himself as possible. And Mewtwo never asked for Tim's name... because he simply didn't care about it.

Or about him, for that matter. Despite everything the boy had ever tried to do for him...

Mewtwo stood up angrily. "I have had _enough_ of this! Ever since he came after me, there has been nothing but pain and suffering around me! I _refuse_ to let this continue!"

"Are you going to see Tim? He's still upstairs."

"No." Mewtwo turned to face the insect. "I am going to see Darkrai. If I win, I will keep my promise."

And this time, he would be ready for a fight. Mewtwo had been worrying about his weakness too long, and this had caused nothing but bad things to happen. To the people he cared about... and some he didn't...

This was going to stop. Before the night was over, the two would battle. It would not be an easy battle, but he knew what he had to do. And once the fighting was finished, there would be one less evil, manipulating bastard of a legendary Pokémon in existence.

Even if it was Mewtwo.

* * *

Sabrina was standing on the battle grounds of Saffron Gym when Mewtwo stormed in, angrily. As soon as she saw him, she called for Kadabra. Good idea, he thought.

"Mew", she said simply. "Why did you come back? Did something else happen?"

He looked at her directly. "Are you absolutely certain that you have never heard of Darkrai?"

She looked at the Kadabra, and then nodded. "You said that word earlier. I still don't recognize it."

He smiled. "I believe you."

With a deep breath, he continued in a serious tone. "Let me say this first. My name is not Mew."


	4. Night

Mewtwo had left Saffron just as the sun was starting to set, ensuring that it would still be early evening once he arrived at Lavender. This may have been a mistake. While he was in a hurry to end this, it may have been to his advantage to allow Darkrai as little time as possible to battle.

He had a strategy in mind. If he was clever enough, Darkrai would never see it coming. It had required the purchase of six TMs from the Silph building. He had also picked up a seventh for personal reasons, but he knew that he had little use for it at the moment. As for the price...

First things first. He cautiously approached the entrance to the vaguely-named Pokémon Tower and opened the door slowly. Seeing no ghosts inside, he took a deep breath and stepped inside.

There were people within the building, quietly strolling among rows of tombstones devoted to beloved deceased Pokémon. His expression turned solemn as he slowly walked past them, gazed at a few graves, and headed upstairs. He started to wonder just how sick Darkrai had to be to insist on this mausoleum as their battleground.

When he reached the third floor, the doors slammed closed behind him, a number of ghosts materialized around him, and the fun began.

The fun ended seconds later, as he single-handedly proved that he was armed with the exact same Shadow Ball that his dark adversary wielded, and he could dish out far more damage to the spirits that surrounded him than they could inflict upon him. This was enough to dissuade most of the ghosts from attacking. Some weren't so easily convinced. He felt very little pity for their unconscious bodies.

Two flights of stairs later, he was standing on what must have been the fifth floor. He walked through the area slowly, watching the ghosts cautiously, until he came to an unusual-looking corner. The nearby walls were slightly tinted by an eerie green hue.

He peeked around the corner.

**You have arrived.**

The dark Pokémon was resting on the floor, surrounded by a bright green light. **I had heard rumors that there was divine magic at work within this tower. While they appear to be false, I cannot say that I disapprove of the alternative.** His bright blue eye shifted upward to gaze at Mewtwo. **By all means, sit beside me.**

Mewtwo crossed his arms. "I prefer to stand."

**If you do not sit beside me, I will cancel our battle and leave.**

The psychic shook his head in disgust. "Do not bully me into your..." He looked up. Darkrai was not reacting to his comment. With an audible sigh, he walked into the green light and sat down next to his nemesis.

The other turned his head to look closely at Mewtwo's body. **As I said, I prefer confidence.** He nodded. **I notice that you have learned a few new tricks since last time. For your sake, I hope they are enough.**

Mewtwo glared at him. "Who is your trainer?"

**My trainer?** Darkrai shook his head. **I don't have one.**

His glare didn't waver. "You threw a shadow ball at me earlier."

**I did. The ghosts seem to agree that you have learned from the experience. **A short pause. **I did not say that I have **_**never had **_**a trainer.**

So his theory had been wrong after all. "Who?"

**I have not asked for your former trainer's name, I hope you notice. **His eye twinkled. **It is better for us this way. We meet a trainer, we learn a few things, we leave them behind and we don't have to spend our lives in the tournament circuit. We grow more powerful and a select few earn the right to bask in our greatness.**

"You just leave?"

**No one wants to fight for their entire life. The fighting-type Pokémon, perhaps, but I have never understood them. And yet it seems clear that fighting is the easiest way to improve myself. Once I have accomplished my goal, all it takes is a little forced sleep and I am long gone before anyone notices. **A careful look at Mewtwo. **I am certain that you understand. You seem to know considerably more people than the people who remember you.**

The psychic shook his head. "I rarely do that now. I prefer not to fight." He grimaced. "Unless someone finds a way to force me into it."

Darkrai might have grinned. It was impossible to tell, aside from his voice. **We will make this quick, then. **He levitated into the air again. **As you should have noticed by now, this was not a trap. You should be at your full strength now. I hope you didn't convince yourself that the ghosts were softening you up. **He floated to the south. **Follow me.**

Mewtwo silently rose and followed the dark Pokémon. **This floor is more cramped than some of the others, but I appreciated the presence of a healing area. I hope the southern wing is large enough for your taste. **He stopped and turned again. **Let us agree on the rules. We fight, and the winner looks really good doing it. I am not permitted to use dark techniques. You are not permitted to use psy... oh, right. It almost slipped my mind. Well, that rule will be easy enough to enforce. Anything else?**

"...we fight to the death."

Darkrai stopped suddenly. **What?**

"We fight to the death. Only one of us gets to leave this tower. Let us begin."

The opponent shook his head. **This is precisely the kind of killjoy attitude that I've been trying...**

Before he finished, Mewtwo punched him in the head.

* * *

**Day Three**

**Night**

* * *

Darkrai rose angrily. **That was a cheap shot.**

"I suppose you think blocking my psychic abilities was the epitome of honor."

**If you keep acting like this, I may leave without returning them. I do not have to fight you.**

Mewtwo smirked. "You _want_ me to fight you. You are not as good as you think at hiding your motives."

**My motive has nothing to do with my own desires. **He winced. **You poisoned me!**

A nod. "Like you said, I have learned a few new tricks. That was not the last of them."

Darkrai didn't hesitate. With a sudden motion of his head, he spat a green fluid directly upon Mewtwo. Unlike the earlier attack, this actually _felt_ like poison was entering his system. **Two can play at this game.**

"I will simply outlast you." Mewtwo tried to remember the most comfortable way of doing his next move. He raised his arms and spread his legs apart until he was making an X shape with his body. He drew power from within himself, and then flexed as much as he could. His arms widened and their muscles expanded slowly until it looked as though they could support his body weight by themselves. The skin around his legs tightened until it was possible to see the strength within them. His chest enlarged slightly, and his height also increased a fair amount. He was now capable of looking down at Darkrai even when he was floating off the ground.

The dark Pokémon nodded. **You intend to defeat me with strong physical strikes.** His form started to flicker, and suddenly it appeared as though there was more than one of him in the room. **It will not be so easy for you.**

"Let me be the judge of that!" Mewtwo roared as he threw a punch in the direction of Darkrai's flickering forms. It connected. Darkrai was sent into a nearby wall, and Mewtwo seemed to have become healthier from his attack.

This didn't last. There was a sudden pain in his chest, and he started to lose his balance. Darkrai noticed this even as he recovered from the particularly effective Drain Punch. He focused his energy again and sped up his body even further. The room was starting to fill up with copies. **You will not be able to win in time. Stop now.**

"Never!" Mewtwo's fist once again became poisoned, and he tried to strike at his opponent. He missed completely, and the amount of effort put into the swing combined with his impending dizziness caused him to lose his balance and fall.

In an instant, one of the images of his opponent tried to pick him up. **Give up. Now. You are likely to be dead in less than three minutes.**

The psychic smiled. "I poisoned you first. I will win."

**...you do not carry an antidote, do you?**

"I don't need one." He started to gasp for breath. "Justice has been served... for both of us."

Darkrai's voice started to shudder. **Justice? What will your death accomplish?**

"...you... will die, too..."

**No. I will not. The poison in your system is compounding. I will outlast you. **He took a breath. **I know a technique that will cure me.** He leaned closer for emphasis. **Give up and I will use it on you as well.**

"...so... I lost... I... do not deserve..."

**What is **_**wrong**_** with you?** Darkrai started shaking Mewtwo's body. **Battling is not about death!**

"...we... the world... better off... without..."

**...you hate me that much. **The dark Pokémon shook his head. **It may be justified, but...**

Mewtwo frowned. "They... suffered... Alak... never ag...my fault... kill me..."

Darkrai had finally had enough. Without any prompting, he released the icy haze that he had been charging up. Seconds later, the symptoms of poison were gone from both combatants. Darkrai struggled to an upright position. Mewtwo didn't stand. The victor of the two picked up the other and headed in the direction of the healing area...

"...no... must... die..."

**What were you thinking? **With no hesitation, he threw the nearly unconscious psychic into the green light. **I no longer wonder why you avoid battle! You believe that it is about fighting to the death? Using poison? Beating down Pokémon who are incapable of scratching you?** He shook his head as he descended to a resting position in the green light as well. **If I was a young Pokémon and I had to battle against someone like you, I would give up on training entirely!**

**And you call **_**me**_** the bully?**

Mewtwo didn't respond. He merely laid flat on his chest, slowly recovering from the damage the poison had caused him... and remembering...

...a time when he was in favor of fighting...

...a roomful of clones, beating on each other until they could not fight any longer... neither gaining an edge...

...a young boy, trying to separate Mew and its clone... getting caught in the crossfire...

...all of the Pokémon in mourning... until a miracle happened...

"...every time I fight... somebody suffers." He turned over to look at his opponent. "I swore to never fight again."

**Who trained you to fight like that?**

Mewtwo sighed. "His name was Giovanni."

**Giovanni. **Darkrai looked up in surprise. **The human from your dream? I believe you told him off.**

"He was a power-hungry bully and a thief. I do not miss him."

**Is that true? **The dark Pokémon gave him a severe glare. **In that case, perhaps you should have come to the conclusion that the way he taught you to battle was equally wrong!**

"I know it was. That was why I stopped."

_**No! **_**That fixed **_**nothing!**_

"...excuse me?"

**What you should have done**, the Pokémon snapped, **was learn how to battle **_**correctly!**_

Mewtwo winced. "How? Even when I tried to be fair about it, they still got hurt!"

**You kept facing opponents that were too weak to face you.**

"They challenged_ me_!"

Darkrai considered this for a moment. **Are you aware that we are being watched by ghosts?**

The other Pokémon moved to a sitting position and looked around. Indeed, there were multiple ghosts in the room, watching them. Some were amused. Some were confused. At least one was being depressed by the whole situation. "What about them?"

**They have not attacked me. They stopped attacking you shortly after you arrived.**

The psychic nodded. "I struck them with a few shadow balls and they got the message."

**They know better than to challenge you. Why was this not true for the other challengers?**

Mewtwo shook his head. "I cannot answer that."

**I can. It is because you never gave them enough reason to not battle you.**

"Not wishing to battle should have been reason enough."

**Have you ever considered having a reputation? Something along the lines of "Hi, I'm a near-omnipotent psychic Pokémon who can wipe your memory with a single thought. Please do not challenge me unless your Pokémon are strong enough to win a league championship"? **_**Why**_** do you insist on acting like you don't exist?**

Mewtwo looked at Darkrai as if he was insane. "Do you _want_ them to capture and experiment on me?"

Darkrai's voice grew serious. **Three things. Please remember them. First, anyone who is not powerful enough to defeat you in combat cannot capture you. Second, anyone who is capable of capturing you is powerful enough that you can battle them without worrying about holding back. Third, and I do not know how to make you understand this, being captured and trained by someone who is capable of defeating you in battle is a**_** good **_**thing.**

"Unless they make me their slave..."

**I've had trainers. Yes, they told me to fight other Pokémon. Yes, one asked me to help break a boulder that was in his way. No, none of them asked me to do menial tasks for them. No, none of them demanded that I undergo various tortures and demeaning situations. I admit that I might have done them if they asked. **His eye winked. **And not one of them **_**ever**_** thought about asking me to give someone else nightmares, because even an ability like that is beyond the range of their control. **He looked directly at Mewtwo. **Do you understand? **_**You are not at risk.**_

Mewtwo sat in thought for a long period of time. Darkrai, despite everything he had done, seemed to know what he was talking about. And he was being... downright sociable. Once again, he had to wonder exactly why he had started this incident in the first place.

This incident...

"There is another good reason why I am not at risk. I currently possess no powers that are worth claiming..."

Darkrai turned away from him. **I would like a rematch.** He stopped. **And this time, I will not let you refuse.**

The psychic's eyes widened. "Do not push me around."

**You were partially correct. I had a reason to be interested in fighting you. But after everything I have heard, I know now that I **_**must.**_** I will not let you leave until you have taken part in a proper battle.**

"Why are you forcing me to fight you?"

**Because I can.**

Mewtwo stood up. "I am sick of that line! If you have a reason, tell me!"

**More importantly, because others cannot. **A quick breath. **And I **_**want**_** to help you.**

"Why?"

**I will remind you. Among Pokémon, we are the legends. We rarely need to justify anything we do. **He turned to gesture at Mewtwo. **Especially not when we do the right thing.**

* * *

The two stood near the southern wall again. **Aside from demanding that we completely refrain from using poisonous moves this time, I believe the previous rules were acceptable. **A pause, and his raspy voice once again reflected his amusement. **We were developing some interesting strategies before we stopped. I suggest that we replay the first moves of the previous battle while withholding the poison. You Bulked Up, I used a Double Team, you connected with a Drain Punch, and I used a second Double Team.**

Mewtwo looked at him suspiciously. **Do it**, Darkrai insisted.

The psychic frowned as he started to expand his muscles in the same manner as earlier. It was slightly more comfortable this time. "Even now, you continue to push me around."

A number of Darkrai images surrounded him. **By any definition, I **_**am **_**a bully. We cannot avoid such a reputation when we are surrounded by those weaker than ourselves. You may hit me now.**

Mewtwo swung at the images. He missed. "We should refrain from interfering with them."

The images shook their heads. **I refuse to avoid interacting with the inferior. That group happens to consist of **_**the rest of the world.**_** If you cut yourself off from the world, what fun is there in living? **One image moved closer. **Try again. It is only fair for you to land a hit.**

The second punch worked, and the dark Pokémon was once again knocked away. This time, Mewtwo had no use for the additional health. "_They_ do not find it fun. Nor do I."

**Let me put it this way. Sometimes I torment people. Sometimes I help them. But I never enjoy **_**hurting **_**them. Nothing ruins a moment more than seeing someone in pain. **Several more afterimages appeared. **The Toxic I used to poison you? A trainer insisted that I learn that move. The Haze that purified us? I learned that **_**naturally. **_He shook his head. **Do I even need to point out that no one has ever been injured by dreaming?**

The images all turned to look at Mewtwo. **I am tired of talking. Attack me. **_**Now.**_

Mewtwo grumbled. "So much for not hurting anyone..."

Another copy of Darkrai appeared. The psychic ignored it. It was nothing more than another fake. If he couldn't find the real dark Pokémon in this swarm of copycats, he would...

The afterimage dashed at him from the side and struck him directly. A chill ran through Mewtwo's body; the same kind of chill he always felt whenever ghosts were nearby. Except this one was colder, and it hurt. Badly. He collapsed to the floor.

Seconds later, he stood up again, recovering from the attack. **That was a ghost move**, he heard. **One of your weaknesses, exploited by someone as strong as I am. Are you writhing in misery and agony, unable to bear the continuation of your meager existence? No? Then I fail to see how this battle could possibly count as suffering! Keep fighting!**

Mewtwo thought about this. Darkrai's words were

_Stop thinking about it and __**just fight!**_, his senses screamed at him.

He couldn't argue with that. He dashed toward the images, searching for his opponent's vulnerability. It wasn't showing itself. He took a few swings at the images, but nothing connected. After his second swing, he noticed a slight amount of motion at his side, and hopped backward to avoid the incoming ghostly double. Quickly recovering, he considered how...

...it was so obvious. He charged up his power and sent out a field of Swift stars. It was no longer his only attack, but the move was nearly impossible to avoid.

It worked. As the stars passed through the field of duplicates, one was visibly struck and reacting in pain. Mewtwo focused his attention on him, refusing to let any of the copies distract him. As soon as he saw him start to prepare his next attack, he dashed at an angle to the real Darkrai's side, and then swiveled on one foot. As he did so, his tail started glowing and became as hard as metal, making it considerably easier to use it to thwack Darkrai across the chest and send him flying across the room into a wall.

He smiled to himself. This wasn't like his earlier battles. He wasn't worrying about either combatant becoming injured, and he had more than enough moves at his disposal to not become predictable. Even better, he realized, he was actually staring down a dark Pokémon. Fighting him, in a battle that was not yet a one-sided slaughter. And his thoughts were no longer plagued by fear of the dark consequences that could await him.

As Mewtwo closed in again, Darkrai's eye flashed brightly. The resulting light caught Mewtwo directly in the eyes, throwing off his vision. Once he recovered, he tried to regain his bearings, despite his blurry sight. In the commotion, he had completely lost track of which copy was the real one.

Time to start from scratch, he decided. He once again launched his Swift into the crowd.

To his surprise, the Darkrai that flinched was less than two feet from him. Before he could react, the dark Pokémon lunged at him with a few fingers out, and caught him in the head. **I can't have you repeating that strategy on me**, he taunted in a playful voice.

Mewtwo winced. His Swift had been disabled. Still, he knew where the real Darkrai was again. He launched another punch, connecting cleanly with his opponent's chest. Once again, he felt strength flowing back into his body; strength that had been taken from his opponent. Darkrai recovered and once again surrounded himself with more duplicates. The trick was starting to get old...

...no, these were the ghostly copies again, he realized as they tackled him to the ground. Two at once. Impressive, and rather painful. As he wrestled them off and caused them to dissipate into nothingness, he looked around again, trying to find his opponent.

The room was almost completely full of the duplicates now, and he had lost him in the mob. And his Swift was unavailable. Darkrai's strategy was proving effective, ensuring that his physical attacks would be wasted and he could not maintain a steady offense. He would need to try something else...

...he felt an odd premonition. He wondered if he had somehow subconsciously detected his opponent, until he realized that it was coming from within himself. It felt like a flame of inner power, burning up from within him as it sought more fuel. He vaguely remembered the feeling, although he had not felt it in many years.

He was becoming stronger. Unlocking new potential.

This was a pleasant sensation, and he was finding it difficult to resist. His body hungered for more battle. If not for the many...

...another ghostly duplicate struck him from behind. He shook it off as he continued to scan the area for his opponent. This was no longer the mind game of a devious dark Pokémon. This was a challenge. A hunt. And when he found his prey, the battle could resume properly. He took a few practice swings at the passing illusions, and then strode through them. Darkrai was here, somewhere...

...there.

He punched to the right. He missed completely. No longer bothering to feel frustrated, he watched the fakes float around in their erratic patterns.

There was another Night Shade coming at him. He turned to face it, ducked beneath it, and charged directly at the Darkrai copy that was behind it... the one that was not a copy at all.

Darkrai dashed slightly to the side, and the punch grazed him. Mewtwo followed it up by swinging his tail. Darkrai levitated slightly to dodge it, and then struck with a shadowy claw. Mewtwo took the scratch and didn't stop, delivering a solid punch to his opponent's midsection.

Darkrai's eye flashed again, temporarily blinding the psychic, and the opening was no longer there. He had disappeared into the crowd again.

His escape had been too late. The burning sensation inside Mewtwo's soul had expanded to the bursting point, and he was quick to harness it. He pressed his hands against his chest, forming a large ball of energy from what felt like the depths of his soul. He looked at it, returned his view to the various duplicates that continued to dance around the room, and threw the ball into the crowd.

It was more effective than he thought. It curved in midair, drifting through various duplicates, seeking and rapidly closing in on its target. The true one. And there was no chance for him to escape the blast.

* * *

When the brightness cleared, Darkrai was lying flat upon the ground. He struggled to rise, making gasping sounds as he tried to levitate.

...no. They were not gasps. They were... raspy chuckles, which soon developed into a full laugh. **Nothing short of impressive, psychic. I believe I shall require healing.** He floated unsteadily between some of the walls, headed toward the green light. **Join me.**

At this point, Mewtwo didn't even hesitate to follow. If his experience was any indication, Darkrai had been right. He had just experienced a true fight. His first one in a long time, he considered. A test of his full skill, against an opponent who was neither great enough to destroy him outright or weak enough to suffer from his attacks. This had been a competition. The kind he had seen Tim's Pokémon enjoy earlier.

He couldn't blame them.

Darkrai was already basked in light once he arrived. With a smile on his face, he stood next to the dark Pokémon. "I... Thank you. I actually enjoyed that."

**It is a shame that I had to coerce you into a conflict with blackmail and reassurance. You should not have required any motivation to accept a battle.**

The psychic frowned. "Giovanni raised me. I wish it was easier to ignore my upbringing." He turned his head to look at the dark Pokémon. "Now, since I won..."

_**No. **_**You have not won yet. **Darkrai pointed a finger at him as he adjusted his scarf with the other. **You have merely proven yourself sufficiently improved to deserve** **another attempt. I may not be so merciful again.**

Mewtwo's eyes widened. "_Another_ attempt?"

In a quick motion, Darkrai's hand grasped Mewtwo by the neck. He removed the other hand, now glowing with dark power, from his scarf and drove it directly into his unsuspecting victim's back.

Everything went black.

* * *

**Arise, psychic.**

Mewtwo awoke to find himself flat on his chest on a stony floor. Judging by his surroundings, he was currently on the top floor of the tower, an area with considerably fewer obstructions and no easy access to a healing area. Above him floated Darkrai, his body surrounded by occasional bursts of pure darkness, as he glared at him.

"You said you would not use dark power!"

**I did, didn't I?** The dark Pokémon gazed at his hand. **What are you going to do about it?**

Mewtwo was about to respond angrily when he realized that he was completely surrounded by ghosts. They still had not attacked him, most likely because of his shadow ball, but they still loomed and watched him and his adversary with interest.

...actually, he considered, they were doing exactly what they had been doing before. So why did it seem so much more ominous to him now?

Even more interestingly, how had he managed to notice that he was surrounded by ghosts, and menaced by Darkrai, and on the top floor of the tower, _when he was still lying flat on his chest?_

There were the same number of ghosts as before. The difference was that he could now see them all simultaneously...

The obvious answer came quickly, and he smiled. Broadly. Once again, he remembered, Darkrai was not truly as vicious as he often acted.

Without a moment's hesitation, he levitated himself off the ground and rotated smoothly to face his opponent at his eye level. His execution was slightly unwieldy; it was understandable, given that he had been unable to do so for three days now.

He started to notice the massive amount of synaptic information coming from the human and ghostly populations of the immediate area. He usually tuned it out; this time, it took him a few seconds to remember how. It was only going to get in the way when facing this opponent. An opponent who was completely imperceptible to his mind, he remembered.

**You have your illusions. You have your training. You have your will to fight. **Darkrai's eye glinted. **Use them!** With this said, he charged at the newly reawakened psychic.

Mewtwo was slow on the uptake. As he was just beginning to notice Darkrai's approach, the dark Pokémon had moved behind him. And before he could spin to face him, he had been struck by a pulse of dark energy in the back. It stung significantly, but it did not drop him and...

...the dark thoughts in his head... menacing him... trying to grab his attention... leaving him incapable of defending himself...

With little hesitation, the psychic solved both problems with a single move. He raised his hand to his head, focused his psychic power, and temporarily rendered himself incapable of memory and rational thought.

* * *

Once he used Amnesia, his instinct and a pure desire for battle took over his thought processes. In this state, the battle became straightforward.

The enemy tried to end the battle immediately with a Dark Void. He dodged, beginning a quick series of teleports across the battlefield. The final one placed him just above and behind the enemy, where he converted his reappearance into a somersault and an Iron Tail strike. Recovering, the enemy went for the Double Teams again. He started preparing another Aura Sphere, but the enemy anticipated this and Disabled the move before he could launch it.

Teleporting quickly to avoid another Dark Void, he resorted to a simple Swift in lieu of the Aura Sphere. Once he had ferreted out the true enemy, he moved in, only to be stopped by a well-timed Dark Pulse. He considered Bulking Up again, but the threat of sleep-inducing moves made the option undesirable.

_Use your secret weapon._

The Amnesia was starting to wear off, he noticed. He didn't want to think yet. He needed to finish the fight. He dashed at the true enemy with a Drain Punch, but the enemy floated backward out of range. He immediately turned his head to avoid staring at the Flash he was anticipating. Once the light dissipated, he Drain Punched again, this time connecting. Just in time, as a Night Shade struck him from behind.

_Kadabra told you about it._

He did not recognize the name. That was one of the problems with using Amnesia, he thought.

He started to consider that he was losing. Even though he was landing moves, he was taking more than he was dishing out. The Drain Punch had helped, but...

The enemy was Resting.

He would have considered doing the same, but he recalled that falling asleep against this opponent was a bad idea. This might have been a good opportunity to use his seventh move, except that the dark Pokémon was still immune to psychic attacks. And he had managed to recover his full health by now, because Mewtwo had taken too much time thinking again. Great.

...on the other hand, once he thought about it, he remembered exactly what move he was subconsciously thinking about earlier. He smiled to himself. Darkrai would never see it coming.

He focused his power, not into his soul, but into his mind. It felt as though he was developing a third eye; a physical incarnation of the massive amount of psychic power that he once again possessed and relished. And with this energy stored, he released it directly at his sleeping opponent.

True, it was a psychic move. And everyone knew that dark Pokémon were immune to psychic moves.

_Except this one._

He could see his opponent clearly now, despite the dark power that comprised much of his existence. His many duplicates still existed, but their intangibility was obvious now. He could see through them. The real one was directly in sight. Sleeping. Vulnerable.

_Even to a psychic assault._

Mewtwo telekinetically lifted Darkrai and slammed him fiercely into the ground.

The dark Pokémon was awake immediately. **How... how did you...**

The psychic smiled to himself. He hadn't even known that he had possessed this move, having not met many dark Pokémon before this chain of events started. But Kadabra had also known the move, and he had been valuable in instructing Mewtwo how to use it... and when.

The Miracle Eye was in place. Darkrai's defeat was inevitable.

Darkrai attempted to send a void at him. He dodged it easily, and then used his mind to lift his opponent and bring him closer. He clenched both fists and delivered a pair of Drain Punches to his upper body in quick succession. The healing effect was just enough to bring him up to what he considered his full physical strength. Before Darkrai could charge another void, he threw him upward in the air and teleported to a position just above the peak of his trajectory. The dark one would not be fast enough to anticipate his moves. The psychic was in complete control of the battle now. His opponent was weak. All he had to do was land the last few hits and the battle would be his.

As he steeled his tail once again, Darkrai turned his head at him, and his eye flashed suddenly. **Sleep.**

There was more than one way to induce sleep in an opponent, and he had used hypnosis. Mewtwo obeyed. As he drifted into unconsciousness, his body fell just over a dozen feet to land on the floor. Darkrai floated downward to the sleeping psychic and lifted his head up. He looked down at his own battered body, then at the psychic's body, and then he gazed into his dreams.

In his current weakened state, they looked delicious. He moved his head closer, preparing to feed...

And _then_ the metallic tail struck from behind, knocking Darkrai off balance and stumbling to the floor just next to Mewtwo. **Sleep Talk**, the dark Pokémon muttered. **I cannot fault your planning.** He turned his head to face his opponent. **It was too little, too late. I have still won.**

_No. I have the advantage_, Mewtwo mentally said to his opponent through his light slumber. _Even if you use your strongest attack now, I will still be able to defeat you when I awaken._

**You forget, psychic. **Darkrai charged an amount of dark energy in one hand again. **I can make you sleep **_**forever...**_

* * *

The bright green colors of the rolling hills of Kanto were blotted out by darkness as the evil dark Pokémon rose over the land, cackling maniacally. He gazed down at the two victims that lay flattened on the shady grass, both entirely at his mercy. **Did you truly think you two could stand against me?**

The Mew looked sadly at the Mewtwo. "I tried to save you... it was not enough..."

The Mewtwo returned the look. _I never deserved it. I abandoned you._

"But... you came back. You welcomed me back. And we fought together. Could we have done anything else?"

_You have improved greatly._ The Mewtwo sighed. _If only you had been given more opportunities to prove it..._

And then the dark flames struck. The hills were torn asunder and the two Pokémon fell i

**

* * *

**

**That is quite enough of that,** the raspy voice spoke from the silent darkness that had replaced the apocalyptic setting. **My victory was not _that_ devastating, was it?**

_What are you doing here?_

**You are asleep. How else am I supposed to communicate with you?**

_You won. You can leave me alone now._

**Where is the fun in that?** His voice turned slightly cheerful. **Do you realize how cute you are when you sleep?**

_...what?_

**You may not be Mew, but I can see the resemblance. **And the darkness parted to reveal what appeared to be an overhead view of the tower. Mewtwo was curled up, sleeping soundly. Darkrai floated near him, with one hand firmly pressed against his head.

_What are you going to do to me?_

**I have time. Let me think about it. **He paused. **I almost wish you had given up your abilities. Any human would want to own an adorable Pokémon like you.**

_Are you mocking me?_

Darkrai didn't respond. Instead, the visible one raised his other hand and ran it along Mewtwo's side in a slow stroking motion. He repeated this a few times, as if the legendary psychic was a mere sleeping kitten.

Mewtwo felt it, too, even as he slept. While distracting, he could not say that he didn't enjoy the sensation. In fact, it sounded as though he was... purring?

**You continue to speak with that low voice, even now. Are you **_**that**_** embarrassed by your true voice?**

_...is this your intent? To torture me?_

**Torture? Indeed. You are sleeping soundly, you are comfortable, and you are happy. And I happen to have a bedtime story prepared for your enjoyment. Would you like to hear it?**

_Do I have a choice?_

**Not in the slightest.**

Mewtwo grumbled to himself. _Very well. I suppose I must endure this nightmare._

**You expect a nightmare.** The image of the two faded back into the darkness. **Prepare to be disappointed.**

**

* * *

**

Once upon a time, in the faraway region of Sinnoh, there existed a pair of islands just north of the mainland. They were magical islands, and stories were told of how they seemed to almost be magically connected to the moon itself. Each was home to a legendary Pokémon, both powerful enough to possess complete domain over their respective islands.

Once again, the darkness drifted away to reveal a visual of what the story was describing. The islands were nearly deserted, but Mewtwo noticed something odder than that. One of them looked remarkably like the other, but backward.

**The Pokémon who lived on the island of the new moon was a handsome devil. His eye gleamed with intelligence; his body, glistening with power, was bound by a tasteful-looking scarf...**

_This is ridiculous..._

**This is my story**, Darkrai said, **and I will tell it in whatever manner pleases me.** He paused briefly. **He was not widely known, but those who chanced to meet him knew him and feared him as a trickster. This was the way he lived. He traveled to the mainland, chose a human that caught his interest, and played with him. Some enjoyed it. Some were terrified. And then there were those who were so struck by his influence that they went into a long hibernation, possibly never to rise again.**

Mewtwo grumbled.

**And this is where the other Pokémon, the one from the island of the full moon, entered the story. Her name was Cresselia, and she was... beautiful.**

A visual of the aforementioned Pokémon appeared before Mewtwo. She was unusual-looking, to say the least. Her body resembled that of a swan floating on a lake, and yet... not. She had a flipper and a wing-like ring on each side, with a matching ring arching upward from her back. Her face was solemn, her eyes calming, and her head covered by an ornament that largely resembled the crescent moon itself.

He wasn't sure if he would call her "beautiful". In an otherworldly sense, perhaps.

**She disapproved of the dark Pokémon's actions. She went before those who were suffering from their experience with him, and she used her powers, and they returned to normal. And then she confronted the dark Pokémon, and they battled.**

_Which of you won?_

**It is not that simple. There was more than one battle. Sometimes she would come out on top, and sometimes I had the edge. And it was through those repeated experiences with her that I came to appreciate her.**

_For getting in your way? I cannot see why._

**Think about it this way. I have always been a free spirit, acting in whatever manner I felt would be the most amusing. It would be so much less enjoyable if I constantly had to worry about whether or not I was pushing the humans too far. I would have had to hold myself back... restrain myself. With things the way they are now, I am free to act as I please, and I know that if I go too far, she will be there to set things right.**

_I cannot say that I see it that way._

**It was more than that. She was fierce, yet peaceful. She acted as she did because she truly believed in the best interests of the humans. If nothing else, I can respect that. And most of all, I have to commend her bravery for daring to stand up to me, in spite of everything.**

_What do you mean by that?_

**She is a psychic. Like you.**

Mewtwo started to understand. Slightly. _You have regular contact with a psychic Pokémon who has repeatedly displayed enough talent to stop you. Even though you have the vast advantage in battle._

**That summarizes it rather well. **He took a breath. **To continue the story, it was not until recently that travelers from overseas started visiting the Sinnoh region. They were amazed by the Pokémon that we always took for granted, and they told us stories of many species that we had never met.**

**And then there was one sailor who visited the islands, and heard the stories of Cresselia and myself. And when they asked him what he thought, he told them. "We have legends of Pokémon where I come from, too. I fail to see what makes your Pokémon superior to ours."**

**The locals told him of the other Sinnoh legends, of the Pokémon that created time and space and the universe, of the three spirits of the mind, and even of the mysterious Shaymin.**

_I have not heard of that last one._

**The sailor remained unimpressed. "Shaymin? Another adorable psychic? What makes it greater than the Jirachi of Hoenn, or the Celebi of Johto, or even Kanto's own Mew?"**

**Some of the locals had heard of a few of those. But there was one boy who spoke out over the others. "Have you seen any of these? Have you met Mew?"**

**"Are you kidding?" the sailor said. "I have beheld, with my own eyes, a psychic Pokémon known to be **_**greater than Mew itself!"**_

_...I suppose he was referring to me._

**I had overheard the entire conversation, and I was offended by the sailor's words. Not only to dismiss our own legends so callously, but to claim that all of these legendary psychics were greater than Cresselia? And I decided, at that time, that I would find each of them myself and form my own opinions.**

**Now, you may not be aware of this, but I am a dark Pokémon. **Mewtwo would have rolled his eyes if he was awake. **I know the limitations of psychic ability, so I felt as though I was a qualified judge. For, once I saw past the illusion, I could see the true spirit within.**

**Did you know that I have met Mew?**

_...no. I do not remain in contact with her._

**I find her interesting. Once you look past her psychic abilities, you find a playful character that is prone to mischief and whimsy. Much like myself, I would have to say. Perhaps she is more restrained, though.**

_No kidding._

**And then I found you.**

**Do you know what I saw when I looked at you? I saw **_**nothing.**_

_Nothing?_

**I observed you for a while. You moved about. You watched others. But you never did anything. Few ever witnessed your presence, and fewer remembered it. You were... it was as though you had taken your psychic abilities, and strengthened them, and used them, and relied on them, until you came to think of yourself as nothing more than your own psychic power.**

**I had to be sure. So I attacked you.**

_Yes. I noticed that part._

**It was not a battle. It was a beating. I swung at you, and you took it. I threatened to do worse things, and you fled. In the face of adversity, all you could do was fear for your life. And after it was over, my body did not bear a single scratch.**

**When your abilities were rendered useless, you had **_**nothing left. Nothing. **_**No hopes. No dreams. No allies. You were barely aware that you actually possessed an offensive move that was **_**not**_** psychic. Do you realize that you went for well over a day without saying a single word, simply because you had been so reliant on your telepathy that you **_**forgot how to talk? **_**And even then, you had **_**never heard your voice before?**_

**And you were supposed to be **_**superior**_** to Cresselia?**

**In my eyes, your very existence was an insult to her. **Darkrai took an audible breath. **I blocked your abilities. I wanted you and everyone else to see you the way I did, and realize just how empty and meaningless your life was without them.**

Mewtwo's voice was incredulous. _**That**__ was your plan? What did you expect to accomplish?_

**It was not a plan. I never do that. I have always acted on the spur of the moment. **There was a hint of uncertainty there, and it vanished in time for the next sentence. **I kept thinking of ways for this to end, and I thought that most of them would have been acceptable. If you had started acting like a non-psychic Pokémon, that would have worked. Cresselia would not have to worry about your reputation any longer. Or if you had cracked under the stress and cried out for help, she might have responded and stopped me. And then you would have to admit that she saved you, and your humility would have satisfied me.**

**So when you attempted to stand up to me, even in a fight you knew you could not win, I decided that it would be sufficient if you, having realized your flaws, made an effort to fix them. I gave you a goal, and I gave you time to achieve it. And here you are, less than a day later, and I can safely say that you have improved.**

_Not enough_, Mewtwo admitted. _I still failed._

**You succeeded.**

And as he said those words, Mewtwo felt a tingling sensation running through his body. He wondered. Was it the joy of overcoming his difficulty? Relief at finally satisfying Darkrai's desires and sparing himself from further difficulties?

...no. His health was returning. He had been moved back to the healing area during this conversation.

**I am a dark Pokémon. I have an inherent advantage over psychics. Even Cresselia has lost to me on several occasions. **His voice was sounding amused. **Trust me. If I was expected to lose to a psychic Pokémon who had just gotten over his fear of fighting and was using most of his offensive capabilities for the first time, **_**I**_** would have been the one who needed my head examined.**

**You lost the battle. But I cannot say that you failed. Not after that effort.**

_I would hate to not meet your standards_, Mewtwo muttered sarcastically. _Do I get to leave now? __**With**__ my abilities?_

Darkrai's voice turned to mock disappointment. **What? No celebration? No signing autographs for the ghosts? No rematch?**

_I have other things to attend to._

**If you had said that four days ago, I would have had to call your bluff. **His voice lifted slightly. **I admit to being wrong about one thing.**

Mewtwo sighed. _What is it?_, he asked tiredly.

**You are considerably more entertaining to watch than I expected. I will have to return here sometime. Whenever I feel like it, most likely.**

_Do not hurry on my account._

**Ah, but you do not fully realize what this means. _You have caught my interest._ **He took a breath. **I **_**will **_**be back. And I will be expecting another battle at that time, **_**whether you want it or not. **_**I will be watching you, psychic. Any time you are out at night, I may tag along. Any time you sleep, I may choose to interfere. And when I am feeling mischievous, you **_**will**_** be on my list of potential targets.** His voice was becoming truly dark. **Our fates are now intertwined. There is no way to sever the link. I may be leaving now, but I promise you this.**

**You will **_**never be rid of me.**_

Mewtwo awoke. Quickly taking in his surroundings, he noticed that he was still curled up within the healing area of the fifth floor of the tower. The ghosts were still hovering around, watching him. This would be the time for a hasty exit, he decided.

No.

Something was wrong. The ghosts were _too_ quiet. Some were having difficulty keeping a straight face.

Mewtwo considered the layout of the tower. It was three floors down to the inhabited region. That was, if the tower was still open to visitors. He had yet to figure out how long he had slept.

He grumbled to himself slightly, stood and stepped out of the green light, focusing some of his power toward his mind as he walked. It was so much easier to do outside of battle, he thought. He glanced at the ghosts around him again, levitated from the ground and drifted around the corner to head to the stairs leading down.

A second later, he spun around and grasped Darkrai with both hands. The fool thought that he could stalk me invisibly, he smugly thought to himself. Perhaps he should start using this "miracle eye" more often.

Darkrai didn't even try to struggle. He merely laughed in his usual raspy voice. **You will never be rid of me**, he repeated. **But isn't it more fun when you know that **_**you can do something about it?**_

Having said this, he vanished from sight. For good this time, Mewtwo thought.

No. For the moment.

He seemed happy, the psychic considered. He wasn't sure if he could blame him. He had come all this way, seeking some kind of twisted revenge, or perhaps merely reassured faith in one of his closest associates.

In the end, he had made a new rival.

The battle had been difficult, and Mewtwo had lost, but this time was different from the others. Even after his loss, it was... enjoyable. No one had to suffer to quench their thirst for conflict. If the things that seemingly everyone in existence had been telling him recently were true, Pokémon were at their best when they battled, and became better when they were trained.

Darkrai had left his homeland to look for other legendary Pokémon.

It was lonely at the top.

* * *

Two seconds later, Mewtwo was back in Saffron City, outside the gym. It was later at night than he realized, and the streets were almost completely empty of people. Normally, he would have welcomed this. After everything that he had been told, he was starting to wonder if perhaps he _should_ have been letting them see him teleport.

He smiled. He truly had missed his abilities, and he welcomed their return fondly. The crisis was at an end. The only remaining task was to tie up all of the loose ends he had left over the past few days.

With purpose in his eyes, he floated toward the gym entrance.

"You came back! Where have you been?"

He didn't need to look around. He could tell who was speaking to him immediately. There was a Pidgey perched in the tree outside the Pokémon Center.

The same one. _Why are you out here?_, he asked. _Where is Tim?_

The bird reacted oddly to the use of telepathy, but adapted quickly. "I don't know. I was in bed, some guys came in, they grabbed me and Caterpie..."

Mewtwo stopped paying attention to its words. He was already checking the bird's memory for more details.

_(They've taken the Squirtle, right?)_

(A group of men with insignias left the Pokémon Center.)

(Pidgey was being carried by one of them.)

_(It's going back to Viridian.)_

_(What about the boy?)_

_(Which one?)_

(The group passed a kid who was lying unconscious near the entrance to town.)

(No, it was not Tim.)

(Thank goodness.)

_(Release the Caterpie elsewhere. This fellow might be hungry.)_

Mewtwo looked directly at the Pidgey. _Squirtle's gone. You don't know where Caterpie went._ It was not a question.

"I didn't see! I've been waiting for Tim!"

_Tim? What exactly has happened here?_

He needed more information. Lacking any immediate witnesses in the vicinity, he started trying to pick up the stray thoughts from anyone in town.

_(going out to eat tonight? Or should)_

_(Ouch. My head hurts. Why did he)_

_(only need two more badges and then I)_

_(be out of here by morning. After)_

_(don't think I want to buy one of)_

_(all it took was a single potion to)_

_(ghosts, so I need to capture a bug)_

_(never seen a Pokémon like that before!)_

_(a nice town. Why would anyone want to)_

_(hope it didn't get Pokerus before it)_

Hundreds of lines, each telling a part of the story, or perhaps just adding to the background. And as they started coming together, Mewtwo finally understood.

This was his fault.

This was not over. Not yet. Not until everything had been resolved. And fortunately for him, he had just finished the hardest part. He was back to normal.

There were hundreds of ways to handle this. Any one of them, he could perform easily. All he had to do was figure out which strategy to use...

...and then figure out if he could live with himself afterward...

_Stay here, _he told the Pidgey. _I know what I'm going to have to do. I promised to aid Tim._

The bird reacted happily. "Great! I'm sure he'll appreciate any help you can give!"

_No_, the psychic responded quietly. With a simple mental suggestion, the Pidgey's mind temporarily went catatonic, and it fell from the tree. He caught it telekinetically before it hit the ground and brought it to his hand.

_I am going to make things worse._


	5. Morning

_**SaffPD **__(Saffron Police Department) __**Crime Report**_

**Name of officer: **Jennifer S-

**Date of incident:** Tuesday, June 6

**Time of incident: **2:41 AM

**Dispatch:** Received call about a disturbance at Route 5, just outside the town border, at 2:37 AM.

**Investigation:** Two boys and two Pokémon discovered on the scene.

Herbert L-, age 12, Pokémon trainer, hometown Cerulean. Unconscious, bleeding from wound in forehead, covered in purple liquid.

Timothy M-, age 10, Pokémon trainer, hometown Viridian. Conscious, suffering noticeable injuries to right leg akin to being attacked by a Pokémon.

Growlithe, Pokéball identified as belonging to Herbert. Unharmed.

Squirtle, Pokéball identified as belonging to Timothy. Unconscious, with visible signs of being bitten.

Broken glass also found at the scene of the crime.

Squirtle taken to Pokémon center to receive medical attention. Herbert in shock; ambulance requested.

Sample of purple liquid taken. Identified as potion frequently given to battling Pokémon. Traces of identical residue found on pieces of glass at crime scene.

Several witnesses to the incident. Accounts largely identical. Combined testimony below:

Timothy left Pokémon Center at 2:31 AM. Looked around in suspicious manner, headed north to Route 5. Herbert entered town via Route 5 at 2:32 AM. Conversation started; testimonies suggest that Herbert challenged Timothy to a Pokémon battle. Herbert called Growlithe. Timothy called Squirtle. Growlithe bit Squirtle. Squirtle collapsed into unconsciousness immediately afterward. Herbert requested payment from Timothy. Timothy offered potion. Herbert demanded monetary compensation. Timothy struck Herbert over head with potion, breaking glass. Herbert collapsed immediately. Growlithe attacked and subdued Timothy before he could escape to the north. One witness placed call at this time.

Timothy questioned. His account confirmed the above events. Repeatedly screamed about needing to leave town.

Probed deeper, searching for possible motivations.

Two Pokémon belonging to Timothy in treatment at Pokémon Center: one Caterpie, one Pidgey. Both injured badly. Witness to Pokémon battles found. Both used in single battle earlier in the day; both defeated in single attack. Expressed concern that using such weak Pokémon in this region was dangerous, bordering on negligent.

Had entered Saffron Gym on previous night. Records of gym match on file. Single unspecified Pokémon of Timothy's possession used in battle. Mild injuries to gym leader's Kadabra and Venomoth. Crippling injuries to gym leader's Alakazam, requiring Pokémon Center treatment. Gym leader Sabrina P- questioned. Claimed that Pokémon was wild, did not give more details. Declined pressing any charges against Timothy regarding use of wild Pokémon in gym battle.

Notebook and pen belonging to Pewter City Pokémon Center found in Timothy's possession. Most pages torn; several remained. Handwriting unfocused yet legible, matching no one on file. Two sets of fingerprints found on notebook; one matches Timothy, one still unmatched. Written instructions to travel to Saffron City, including map with Sabrina's name circled. Suggestions that Timothy move quickly to arrive before evening, avoiding battles or resting. Implication of unfavorable interaction with Team Rocket, including allegations of torture. Questioned Timothy about these notes; his only response was to describe the Pokémon used in the gym battle.

**Current theory:** Writer of notebook engineered plan to sabotage Saffron Gym, using out-of-town child as accessory, and arranged for transportation of child. After incident, child attempted to escape premises, was unable, and tried again in middle of night. Escape foiled by Herbert's unwitting arrival, Herbert suffered consequences.

**Opinion:** Timothy is underage and was likely coerced against his will into criminal action. Keep in custody. Attempt to get more information about note writer.

**Suggested charges:** assault; criminal negligence of Pokémon

**Suggested punishment:** revocation of Pokémon trainer license

_**APPROVED - Chief Michael A-**_

**Actions taken:**

Timothy in custody in Pokémon Center to be treated for leg injuries and questioning about incident. Pokémon training equipment confiscated.

Squirtle released from Pokémon Center and delivered to Viridian Gym for use as replacement starter (1)

Pidgey and Caterpie released from Pokémon Center and returned to wild habitat

Written recommendation for trainer license revocation sent to Pokémon League Central Offices. Police report attached.

_(1) In case of new trainer losing a starter Pokémon for reasons determined to be natural and/or uncontrollable_

* * *

**Day Four**

**Morning**

* * *

The door and windows to the room were securely locked. Mewtwo noticed. If he hadn't recovered his abilities, he wouldn't have been able to enter like this. Very good, he thought. There would be considerably less ambiguity as a result.

Tim was asleep in bed. This would be simple. Even if he was careful and took his time, it would be over in three minutes.

This wasn't right. He knew it wasn't right, and yet he knew that it was necessary if he truly wanted the best possible outcome. And yet... it wouldn't be sunrise for another hour or so. He had time. Maybe he could change his plans. This boy deserved it, after everything that had happened. And he couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted it, too... no. If he changed his plan now, he wouldn't be guaranteed anything...

On a whim, he decided to check on the boy's dreams.

Nightmares. Of a mob of angry humans and Pokémon surrounding the Pokémon Center, barring the doors. Keeping him inside. A chant could be heard throughout the town. _No escape. No escape._

...very well. A compromise.

Mewtwo gave Tim a slight mental suggestion to wake up, and he obeyed. Given his dream, he was not surprised that the boy's face was terrified.

Tim took a moment to adjust to his surroundings, and then noticed the visitor in the room. "You... you came back... I thought I would never see you again!"

The psychic had never tried this before, but he felt it was appropriate for the situation. With a bit of concentration, he modified his telepathy so that it sounded similar to his natural speaking voice, while still being understandable by humans. _I want to thank you. I was finally able to recover my abilities._

The boy tried to smile. "That's good to hear... um... I, uh, haven't been so lucky..."

_I heard._ He gave him a serious look. _Why did you do it?_

Tim's voice was angry. "You were right about the stupid rules! I wanted to leave! They wouldn't let me! Everywhere I went, it was 'you have to fight me' and all that! I was sick of my Pokémon getting sent back to the center... I just lost it! I mean, what do I have to do to go back to Pewter or wherever without being attacked?"

Mewtwo smiled. _Do you want to go back to Pewter?_

"No. Not anymore." The boy sat up and laid his head on his hands. "They're right. You were right. I shouldn't be a trainer. I'm no good at it. I can't seem to keep my Pokémon from getting hurt... they must hate me... they're better off without me... better off not fighting, too. I just..."

The boy suddenly broke down into tears. "They took them away! They tried so hard to get me out of this stupid city and they took them away! They think I'm some kind of jerk, too! I... I just want them to leave me alone..."

_I never wanted this to happen..._

He suddenly lunged forward from the bed and wrapped his arms around Mewtwo's waist, his head resting against the psychic's lower chest. "You came back! You're the only hope I've got! Please! Tell me you came back to help me! _Please_!"

It took Mewtwo a few seconds to recover from the shock of being hugged. Afterward, he was able to nod quietly. _I promised that I would help you when I recovered. What do you want me to do?_

"I think... I want to go home. I want to see Mom... Dad... I want them to know what happened! I want them to take me back! They love me... they're the only ones that love me... please! Whatever you do, just _get me out of here!_"

Mewtwo decided to be as honest as he could permit himself to be right now. _You may come with me. I will take you back. By tomorrow, you will no longer need to worry about this city. I promise._ He paused briefly, considering his words. _Tomorrow. For now, please rest. You need it._

Tim was still hysterical. "...don't leave me... please don't leave me... you're the only one left... never leave me..."

The psychic sighed. This was proving more difficult to do than he had anticipated. Perhaps he shouldn't have let himself do this at all.

...he wanted to do this. Tim needed it. And Mewtwo wanted it, even if he couldn't have it. At least for the moment, he gave in.

The bed was more than large enough. Using a weak amount of his telekinetic ability to aid in the process, he lifted the boy with his arms, walked over to the bed, and laid down upon it himself. The boy felt nothing but comfort in the process. He laid his head upon the Pokémon's chest as he wrapped one arm around him and held him close. Mewtwo mentally lifted the blanket and lightly lowered it onto the pair, leaving his arms free to hold the child and give him a comforting pat.

_I will not leave you until you no longer need me._

"...thank you, Mew. Thank you for coming back to me..."

Mew, Mewtwo thought. He had never explained anything to this boy. Even now.

_...I never asked you for your name._

The boy smiled. "It's Tim."

Mewtwo also smiled. He continued to hold and comfort the child as he slowly drifted back to sleep. Too slowly, he thought. He had been completely unable to find any sleep-inducing moves that he could use. Darkrai had been a veritable master of the technique. Compared to him, the best he could do was put himself to...

Tim was asleep now, and dreaming. The same tortured dream as before.

That was more than enough, Mewtwo thought. Back to business. Moving very calmly in an effort to not wake the boy as he continued to hold him, he rested his free hand on the boy's head and began to erase his memory.

* * *

Delivering supplies to Viridian City was a complicated process. Whoever was responsible either needed a sea vehicle that could dock south of Pallet, a portable form of transportation that could be carried through Mount Moon, or flight.

A helicopter would have been a bit much for this load. Instead, the escorts had been informed that a boat was leaving the port at Vermillion at sunrise to carry training supplies to the western continent. The Squirtle's Pokéball was thus placed alongside the latest Silph Co. shipment and transported by truck to the Vermillion port.

It had only made it halfway there when the engine suddenly went out. The driver, trying his hardest not to panic, pulled over onto the side of the road.

As the man in the navigator's seat got out to pop the hood and check, Mewtwo appeared out of nowhere next to the driver's window. _Is there a problem, sir?_

"Yeah!" the driver said. "I'm supposed to be delivering this stuff to Vermillion and the stupid truck broke down!"

_You have the delivery to Vermillion? Excellent. That will save me a trip. _Mewtwo produced a torn page from the notepad in Saffron City. _There has been an overturned decision. I need to reclaim one of the items that you are transporting._

The driver grumbled. "Yeah? On whose authority?"

_Mr. Vernon himself signed this document, sir_, the psychic said, effortlessly pulling the name of the driver's boss from his memory. He handed over the piece of paper. _Take a look, if you will._

There was a single word written on the note: _FOOL_

The driver nodded. "Yeah, that's his writing all right. Sorry for doubting you. We gotta be careful around these parts." He looked toward the back of the vehicle. "Do you need help getting it out?"

_No. I will manage. _He disappeared briefly, and then reappeared holding a Pokéball. _I think this is it, if you could just check it._

The driver gave it a once-over. "Yup. That matches the serial number." He shook his head. "You were lucky we hadn't made it to Vermillion yet."

_Do not worry, sir. Keep that copy of the form. I will not take up any more of your time._ He turned to look at the front of the truck. _Your friend seems to have gotten the engine running again._

The other man, who had yet to actually touch the inner workings of the vehicle, nodded. "Yup. We're in business."

"Sorry about the confusion, sir", the driver said. "Have a good day."

_To you as well_, Mewtwo replied, and then vanished.

The driver sat back and grumbled as he started the truck. "At least someone's starting their day off better than me."

"No kidding", the passenger added.

* * *

Most of his other tasks were simple.

He had teleported into the evidence room of the Saffron City police department, taken the notepad and pen, and mentally broken each into pieces so small as to be completely unrecognizable. He probably could have done so without entering the building, but at this time, he preferred the personal touch.

Caterpie had been easy to find. He was just outside town, stripping the bark off a broken tree branch. It had recognized him immediately, and then he had rendered it unconscious as well.

He returned to where he had hidden the unconscious Pidgey. Everything was almost complete. Now he needed to put the bird and insect into Pokéballs to match the Squ...

...he didn't have any Pokéballs. They had been taken from Tim, and he had kept himself from disturbing the truckload or evidence room any more than necessary.

He grumbled. He had carefully plotted out his every move, and he wasn't about to cause any more trouble than what he had previously planned. He wasn't about to steal Pokéballs or money. He didn't want to battle, or else some innocent Pokémon would get caught up in the aftermath.

A plan formed in his head. For once, he thought, Tim had the right idea.

He decided to choose a city at random. He picked Viridian. That would be fitting, he hoped. Teleporting there, he opted to stand outside the Pokémon Center and wait.

It was less than ten minutes later that a young boy came out of the building, carrying a Pokéball. Mewtwo probed its contents quickly with his mind, and then spoke.

_Excuse me, kid. Have you ever wanted to know what your Pikachu is trying to tell you?_

* * *

It was easy to purchase two Pokéballs at the shop in Viridian. He had even retained a small amount of extra money, just in case. Now, for the most crucial step.

He transported directly to Saffron City. Specifically, the Saffron Gym. Even more specifically, Sabrina's room.

She was asleep at the time. He started considering the best way to handle this step. First, he set the three Pokéballs down on the floor, so that they...

_Don't. You. **Dare.**_

Mewtwo smiled to himself. She was well-trained enough to detect his presence, even in her sleep. _I am here to repay my debt_, he sent telepathically.

_The same way you repaid Tim?_, she responded in kind, waking up fully and sitting up in bed. _I can tell when a psychic is using its abilities in this town. If you try to get out of this by tampering with my mind, I will..._

_I have no intention of going back on my deal_, he interrupted. _To be honest, I came here to expand the terms._

_The old terms are enough trouble right now_. She shook her head, causing her hair to become even more unkempt. _You got the TMs. You said you'd work here for a month to pay me back. I can't exactly do that right after I told the police that I don't recognize you, now, can I?_

Mewtwo smiled. _True enough. If you can help me with a few more things, I'll make it three months, offer you some additional services, and ensure that you never get in any trouble for this._

_You really think you can?_, she inquired. _What about Tim?_

_If you do this, he will be safe. Trust me. _He looked directly into her eyes. _I want to be defeated in battle._

Without a word, she stood up and walked over to the desk. _Explain yourself first._

He crossed his arms. _You filed a report on the gym battle. You should not have done that._

She didn't flinch. _I am required to document all of my matches. To do otherwise could cost me my position._ She frowned. _I risked enough by refusing to identify you._

_That report is being used to link Tim to a conspiracy to attack this gym. _He leaned on the desk. _This is patently false, and I want it to stop._

Sabrina shook her head. _I cannot rescind my report._

_Then __**file another one**_, he said.

She paused. _What could I possibly say that would help? Everything that I described was true._

He shrugged. _Tell the truth. Tell them that an incredibly powerful and evil Pokémon forced him to perform all of his wicked deeds._

_Wait_, she said. _You want me to tell them about Darkrai?_

_I never said "dark". _Mewtwo stared upward toward the ceiling. _I was referring to the psychic Pokémon with a proven history of mental tampering. The one who can be directly linked to all of the events that occurred. The one who brainwashed Tim._

Her eyes widened as she stared at the Pokémon. _Okay, what the hell is going on?_

He smiled, but did not look at her. _The important part is what the police report will say. Despite being detained, Tim vanished mysteriously from his room. Soon afterward, he was discovered in faraway Pewter City with absolutely no memory of the past two days. The notepad evidence was destroyed, but in a fatal error, the perpetrator was caught on film destroying it._

_Tim's Pokémon were not with him. Indeed, Caterpie and Pidgey had been recaptured, and Squirtle was seized from a delivery vehicle using deception and mental suggestion... which the drivers realized right about... _Mewtwo gestured. _...now._

_The most likely reason for the hypnotic suggestion wearing off was that, in an effort to cover his tracks, the perpetrator returned to Sabrina's gym to silence the witness there as well. And he would have gotten away with it too if she hadn't been more powerful than he thought. After all, _and he looked directly at her as he finished,_ she managed to defeat him in battle, and then captured him in a Pokéball._

She slammed her fist on the desk. _What are you trying to do? You didn't do any of those things!_

_On the contrary. Aside from the fact that you have yet to defeat me, I am certain that I did every single one of them. I even happen to have his Pokémon with me at the moment, so there is no possible way to deny my involvement._

_...but... why? Why are you framing yourself for this?_

He lowered his head. _Because this is entirely my fault, and I want everyone to know it._ His voice became depressed. _Tim does not deserve his fate. I told him to come here. I told him to challenge you. I ran away and left him here without any hope of leaving town. If he has done anything wrong, it is solely due to my influence._

_I want him exonerated. I want him to go back to his training, and I want everyone in your league to support his actions. I do not want there to be __**any**__ question that he is innocent. And the only way to do that is to establish that I exist and that I am utterly guilty._

He looked her in the eyes. _And if I am guilty, then I want to receive punishment._

She took a breath. _I don't think they have prisons for Pokémon._

_They do. You call them Pokéballs. The proper way to handle a problematic wild Pokémon has always been to capture it and reform it through extensive training. _He smiled. _And it just so happens that the person responsible for bringing me down is the leading expert on psychic Pokémon in this region._

She grumbled. _This is dishonest..._

_The only dishonesty is in the motive. I have done everything that I said I have done. I am asking you to do the right thing._

_But... you're not supposed to be a criminal! You're not evil!_

He glared at her. _**I am.**_

She stopped. As he held her gaze, he continued. _I am selfish, manipulative, spiteful, and I have frequently held the belief that my power justified all of my actions. I was taught to fight cruelly from birth, and have never taken part in a fair battle until less than six hours ago. I am a vocal opponent of Pokémon training, and have felt no shame in mistreating the humans responsible for it._

_The only reason why anyone could believe that I am not evil is that, for a long period of time, I did nothing. I ran away from my actions, hid behind my psychic abilities, and kept myself from harming anyone. But my mindset never improved, and I rarely did anything good. I was still evil. I just failed to display it, and tried to convince myself that it meant I had changed. But I did not. The moment that I was rendered unable to use my powers, I remanifested every evil tendency I had ever possessed in an effort to get them back._

_And now that I have realized this, I know that I need to be reformed. _His expression had become miserable. _I am asking you as nicely as I can. __**Please reform me.**_

Sabrina watched his eyes carefully for several seconds. Afterward, her mouth curled upward in a smirk. _Three months, huh?_

_It would be the most sensible way to uphold my end of the deal, _he responded.

_Are you saying you want to be my Pokémon?_

Mewtwo hesitated briefly, and then nodded. _I have come to the conclusion that my history with Pokémon training and battling has been flawed and detrimental. It may be in my best interest to experience the process again before I form any more opinions about such activities._

She stood up, shaking her head. _Let me ask again_, she intoned as she walked around the desk until she was standing directly next to him. She wasn't particularly short, but the psychic Pokémon stood a full head taller than her, even without levitating. She laid her hand on his arm, looked up into his eyes and gave him a sincere smile. _Are you saying... that you_ **_want..._** _to be **my** Pokémon?_

Mewtwo looked back into her eyes, and he finally understood. He remembered many of the people that he had met on his journey. A teenage boy and his Butterfree. A lady and her Zubat. He had seen the way Sabrina worried about Alakazam, and took care of her Kadabra. He remembered just how Tim had reacted when he had returned to him, and had to admit that he was feeling something as well.

Hundreds of instances, and he had never truly noticed them.

And then he thought back. The way he had taken care of his clones. The young boy and his Pikachu who had both opposed him and helped him. Even in his earliest memories, there was a girl named Amber...

Pokémon training wasn't just about battle. It wasn't even limited to making them stronger. There was... companionship...

He smiled back. _Yes._ He placed his hand on her shoulder. _I want you to train me. Strengthen me. Redeem me. _He knelt down slightly. _**Be with me.**_

_Well, I can't argue with that_, she responded in a casual manner. _Not many of us get to see a legendary Pokémon. Fewer get to train one._ She grinned widely. _I don't think I've heard of one choosing a trainer before._

He thought about this. _I suspect that more Pokémon choose their trainers than you think._

_Well, I guess I'd better see about capturing you, then._ A desk drawer opened, and a Pokéball levitated from inside and floated to her hand. _You said you wanted to be battled?_

He shook his head. _I want to be defeated. I am concerned that I might not be able to lose a battle against you or your Pokémon._ _I will hold back as much as necessary._

_Don't be so sure_, she replied. _I have some strong battlers of my own._ She gestured toward the building in general. _There's a big difference between the Pokémon I use to win battles and the Pokémon I use to test trainers._ The desk drawer closed. _After all, I am a gym leader. If my best Pokémon was a purely-psychic-focused Alakazam that wasn't quite strong enough to enter the Pokémon League, why would anyone think I was qualified?_

Mewtwo nodded. It made sense. _I was considering requesting that your Kadabra do the honors. He has done a great deal to assist me, after all._

_I doubt he could scratch you in battle._ She looked up at the ceiling briefly. _He won't be a Kadabra for much longer, anyway._

As Mewtwo gave her an inquisitive look, she continued. _They released Alakazam from the center. He's still alive and still strong, but he's paralyzed below the waist. While he can get by using his abilities, he is in no shape to fight. If he wasn't a psychic, I think he..._

She trailed off, and then started again. _It's the best solution. Kadabra will become my new Alakazam for gym battle, and I will train another Kadabra._

The psychic Pokémon looked at her. _I would like to speak with Alakazam later. I... want to help him._

_He is beyond healing_, she pointed out.

_If he is unable to walk, then I will teach him to levitate._

_Are you qualified to do that?_

_I thought it would be part of our arrangement_, he responded with a sincere smile. _If you can teach me how to be a better Pokémon, it is only fair that I try to make you and your Pokémon better psychics._

* * *

Whether or not his actions were truly ethical, they managed to play out almost exactly as he had planned.

This was true for the important aspects, anyway. Once the police gathered the evidence, it was decided that there was really no way to justify charging Tim with anything. The Pokémon League coordinators opted to allow him to resume his training, although it was proposed that they closely monitor his activities and gym battles in case he did anything else suspicious. In the end, it turned out to not be necessary.

After recovering in the Pewter City Pokémon Center, Tim was astonished to hear about what he had been doing while he was unconscious. He did, in fact, remember a few things about Mewtwo; specifically, that it had helped him leave Viridian Forest when he was having trouble. He honestly couldn't believe that it would do this to him. A number of Pewter City residents agreed. They remembered the culprit and the boy spending time together without incident. But some also remembered how it had carried a notepad, which only further proved its guilt.

His Pokéballs were delivered a day later, along with some of his missing equipment and a small amount of money that Sabrina had apparently included as "compensation". While there was no way for him or the police to know this, Tim's Pokémon also lacked any memory of the missing events. The psychic had been thorough. Oddly enough, Tim noticed that his Pidgey had gained a new move during that timeframe. Perhaps those days hadn't been completely wasted after all.

After everything was said and done, he still needed to get ready for his first gym battle. The strategy was easy. The gym leader would be using rock-type Pokémon, so Squirtle would have a definite advantage. If he fell, Caterpie would have more of a chance to finish him off than Pidgey, even if it was just as vulnerable to rock attacks.

The next step was to stock up on items. Potions, naturally, although he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he would want some repels before long. He was checking his pockets to count how much money he still had when his hand came upon a folded piece of paper in his inner shirt pocket.

He pulled it out and unfolded it to find a note, written on the same notepad paper that everyone had been talking about. _PLEASE THANK EACH OF THEM FOR ME WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY_

He didn't know what it was talking about. Just to be safe, he thanked the Pokémon. After all, there must have been a reason.

* * *

Sabrina was in a difficult position. She not only had to explain to the police that the "wild Pokémon" from earlier turned out to be the mastermind behind the whole plan, but also how she managed to defeat him when he had utterly crushed her gym Pokémon earlier. True, she was using a more powerful Pokémon the second time, but she couldn't exactly tell them that Mewtwo had been holding back.

She also had to convince them that she would take custody of him.

"Psychic Pokémon are particularly dangerous", she argued at the hearing. "Give him a chance to escape, and not only will he succeed, _you won't even remember that you ever had him._"

"We should kill him now", one of the officers muttered.

"Are you _mad?"_ she asked immediately. "The Pokémon League is founded on the knowledge that Pokémon aren't evil. Their disposition depends entirely on their trainers." She gestured. "I have trained no fewer than thirty psychic Pokémon in my life, and also keep Pokémon of types that have an inherent advantage over them, just in case the worst happens. If that's not enough, I have trained _myself and others _to use similar abilities to counterbalance them.

"There has never been a psychic Pokémon incident on my watch. This one even had to resort to physical means. And I assure you that I have all the materials necessary to ensure that it won't happen again." Her voice was confident. "I _can_ train him. It _will _work."

There was general agreement from the crowd, except for one dissenting voice. "Weren't you responsible for a number of psychic incidents of your own?"

She winced. The speaker had a point. "That situation was resolved long ago, and I hope I have proven over the past few years that it will never be a problem again."

A few more words on the subject were exchanged, the matter was dropped, and in the end Sabrina was headed back to her gym with a new psychic Pokémon in her possession.

_Psychic incidents?_, she heard in her head.

_I don't want to talk about it_, she replied as she looked at the Pokéball in her hand. _You're better than I thought. Most psychics are blocked when they're in these balls._

The Pokémon grumbled mentally. _I have yet to get used to being held like this. Could you let me out soon?_

_Not in public. And not until I'm sure it's not a trick._

_**You don't trust me?**_

_Call it healthy skepticism_, she answered without missing a beat as they entered the gym. _I haven't started to train you properly yet._

_I am offended_, he replied. _I would never think of leaving you. Not while I still have to help... which Pokémon was that?_

_Hypno, _Sabrina answered matter-of-factly.

And stopped walking suddenly. Why had she answered like that? It was obvious that she was talking about Drowzee.

...um...

Her expression became terrified. Mewtwo didn't blame her. _You are not as resistant to mental tampering as you think. _His voice had become cold. _I think you understand now. If I intended to break my promise, I would have done it by now._

The door to her office/bedroom opened for her, and she entered slowly. _What do you want from me?_

_Nothing more than what we have already discussed. _His mental voice became friendly again. _But I would also like to be let out of this device for the moment. Surely you can do that for me. Or should I force you to agree?_

Without another word, she dropped the Pokéball, releasing its occupant.

She sighed. Three months of this? Was she really going to be able to improve him at this rate?

He stretched out his arms and legs and smiled. _Are you saying that if I act bad, you will let me stay with you longer?_

_The other Pokémon are nice enough to not read my thoughts_, she grumbled.

_I may agree to that. Sometimes. _His voice was downright playful now. _I thought you were looking forward to this._

She shook her head. _These have not been the best circumstances._

_Believe me when I say that I agree with you. I have not had any reason to be happy lately. Please let me have this moment._

_Very well_, she acquiesced. _I'll give you a Pokéblock to celebrate._

He smiled. _You really _are_ trying to get me addicted. _He paused. _Not the sour kind, please._

She had obtained a purple piece. _I think you might like this kind_, she said as she handed it to him. _It matches your eyes._

Seconds later, Mewtwo had to agree. For the first time since this ordeal began, he was capable of using his mind to talk and his mouth to suck on the candy at the same time, and she had chosen the right candy for the moment. _I believe this is my favorite so far._

_The red ones are stronger_, she said. _I figured you'd like the spicy ones._

It was odd, she thought, but it was true. Sometimes the best way to discover the true shape of a Pokémon's heart was to figure out its sense of taste.

* * *

There was a tree at the top of a grassy hill. A Mewtwo sat on one of the upper branches, holding a Mew in his lap. Ever since the dark Pokémon had decided to leave, they had been spending far more time together.

Of course, both had changed since they first met. Thanks to the human's actions, the Mewtwo could never be a Mew again. He still wielded terrifying psychic power, and he could easily rip this tree from the ground with his thoughts.

But he wouldn't.

The Mew had grown more powerful as well, the better to fight off the dark Pokémon. He had no psychic ability, but he was physically strong enough to pick up this tree by the roots if he so desired.

But he wouldn't.

And, as if to thank them for their mercy, the tree bore fruit.

The Mewtwo removed two apples from the branch above him with his mind and offered one to his friend. The Mew happily seized it with both paws and started chewing at its skin. The Mewtwo used one hand to hold his own apple up to his mouth and bite into it, while lightly stroking the Mew's fine fur with the other.

Both were happy. Both were peaceful. They were strong enough to win a fight if it was ever necessary, but for now, they could relax.

Mew smiled at Mewtwo. Mewtwo smiled at Mew. And the thought they shared was mutual. _I will never abandon you again._

* * *

_Sabrina?_

She looked up in annoyance. Mewtwo had informed her an hour ago that he was tired, largely due to the fact that he had been suffering from unstable and unrestful sleeping patterns over the past few days. But he didn't want to use his Pokéball. Not now. At the moment, he was fast asleep on _her_ bed, using _her_ blankets. And now he was interrupting her, right while she was in the middle of filling out gym paperwork.

"What is it?" she asked. She didn't bother with the telepathy this time; her head was starting to ache from its constant use.

_I have been having bizarre dreams recently_, he answered. _They started just after I first battled you. Did you do something to me?_

"Not at all", she said. "Why do you ask?"

_They are... normal dreams, I suppose. Two Pokémon playing. Only... I think I might be both of them._ She noticed at this time that he was, in fact, still asleep. _Have you ever felt like being a psychic causes you to act like two different..._

"Yes", she interrupted in an impatient tone. "Literally."

_Literally?_

"I told you before. I don't want to talk about it." She took a breath. "My best advice is for you to laugh and enjoy yourself every once in a while. Maybe that'll help."

_I think I can manage that_, he responded. _Thank you again._

She nodded and returned to her paperwork. She didn't get very far this time before he interrupted her again. _What do you dream about?_

She sighed. "I rarely dream."

_Why not?_

"After a while, it felt like every other dream was some kind of premonition about the future. They were annoying and kept getting in the way of my life. Eventually I just decided to block them."

_I see no problem with premonitions._

"Let me put it this way", she said patiently. "If I had known that your arrival would have resulted in Alakazam's injury, I might have never let you into the gym. Then where would you be today?"

_I understand. _A short pause. _Do you miss dreaming?_

"This is a pointless conversation. Please go back to your dreams. I'm busy right now."

_I was only offering. I thought that perhaps, if I ever have a pleasant dream in the future, I could bring you into it._

"Oh." She picked up the pen again, and then dropped it. "You can do that? How?"

_I picked up an extra TM that day. Dream Eater, they called it._

She recited its properties from memory. "A psychic move mostly reserved for dark and ghost Pokémon. While useful in battle against sleeping opponents, it has some unsavory side effects for the victim, up to or including loss of soul. I recommend not using it."

_I cannot make my opponents sleep, anyway. _He paused briefly. _I learned the move, and I think I can figure out how it works. If I am correct, I may be able to adapt the concept to other purposes. _His voice was enthusiastic. _Entering dreams, combining them, bringing others into them... with enough effort, I could try to combine this process with Rest and see if falling asleep can heal someone else. Even _a trainer.

Sabrina stared at his sleeping body for a while, and then shook her head. "It's unnatural, isn't it? I can't say I agree with the idea."

_This is merely theory. _A dark tinge was inherent in his voice. _For now._

I will make it work eventually, he thought. And when I do, I will find Darkrai again. And I will beat him at his own game.

* * *

As for Darkrai himself, he returned to Sinnoh several days later.

He had arrived at a few conclusions of his own. There were far more legendary Pokémon psychics than he expected, and many of them were capable of defeating him in battle. Psychics, defeating him. He needed to train. Badly.

He knew the perfect practice opponent.

Lucario. He wasn't legendary, as there were other members of his species, but he was a physically quick and strong fighter. He had the benefit of using steel. And he could use Aura Spheres, of the same type that Mewtwo had managed, _as a basic attack_. Any dark Pokémon would be at a severe disadvantage against him.

That's why Darkrai would take him on. If he could defeat Lucario in battle, he could defeat **anyone.**

**Even Dialga.**

But first, the dark Pokémon needed to train. He sought his next target. Someone with a strong will, well-trained Pokémon, and delicious dreams would be best. He intended to grow stronger, and as long as he could continue to improve, he would never stop.

The time for fun and games was over. He would show everyone exactly what he could do. And in the end, everyone would agree that he was the best.

And if they didn't, they would dream it for as long as necessary until they believed it.


End file.
